TREATMENT
National Gallery of Art
Sunrise, Mont Saint Michel | John Taylor Arms
Etching and aquatint on Japanese paper; 1919
From a private collection
Before treatment
After treatment
Treatment Goals and Rationale:
This etching and aquatint by John Taylor Arms belongs to a staff member at the National Gallery of Art. With plans to display the print in their home, we decided that the goals of treatment should be to remove the poor-quality window mat and backing board and restore appropriate tonality to the sheet by reducing discoloration from photooxidation within the window mat opening. This discoloration severely detracts from the sensitive, luminous quality of the printed image. Methods applied to reduce discoloration included surface cleaning, local application of sodium borohydride reducing bleach, immersion washing, and aqueous light bleaching. This treatment was supervised by Amy Hughes, paper conservator at the National Gallery of Art.
TREATMENT
National Gallery of Art
Paper Sample Box | The Paper Mills’ Company Chicago
Paperboard and wood construction, joined with linen tape, covered in book cloth, 1905
Contains twenty-two broadsides and paper sample booklets from the Paper Mills’ Company
and the Japan Paper Company
National Gallery of Art, Paper Sample Collection
Treatment Goals and Rationale:
This box is used to store paper samples in the National Gallery of Art’s Paper Sample Collection The lid and its front flap of the box, which were designed to close and lock with a metal latch mechanism, have both detached from the box body. The latch mechanism is difficult to open, which adds to the stress on the lid and flap. A three-inch tear is present in the book cloth at the crease where the lid flips open, and the book cloth exhibits soiling, stains, and abrasions. The objective of treatment is to improve the stability and restore the functionality of the box so that it can continue to house its accompanying paper samples. Treatment will include surface cleaning, repair of the metal latch, consolidation of tears and abrasions, creation of toned infills for areas of lost book cloth, and reattachment of the lid and front flap.