Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Mending the Photographs

It is a basic conservation technique intended to provide support to torn or damaged photographs to aid in handling.

You need:
  • Hollytex
  • Blotting paper
  • Wheat starch paste
  • Two brushes (one for preparing the paste and other for its application of the strips)
  • Japanese paper strips
  • Tweezers
  • Glass container
  • Plexiglas
  • Weights
 How to do
  1. Strain a small amount of a wheat starch paste through a sieve.
  2. Put a strained paste in a glass container and stir it with little filtered water using a brush.  You will need 2-3 minutes until you get smooth texture. As soon as it is ready put it aside.
  3. Cut the Hollytex in dimensions which are little bigger than the treated photograph.
  4. Put the recto of the photograph on the Hollytex surface so you can see the verso of the photograph.
  5. Adjust the edges of the tear as close as you can.
  6. Lay down the Japanese paper strip on a glass surface and apply a wheat starch paste on it using the brush.
  7. Very carefully, cover the tear with the strip, using the tweezers.
  8. Put over it a small piece of Hollytex, blotting paper, plexiglas and weights. Leave it for about 10 minutes to dry and flatten. 
 Tips:
  • When mending a photograph with thicker paper support you can apply wheat starch paste in-between tear’s edges in order to adjust them better. Otherwise the tears may stay visible and tend to curl.
  • Use only fresh wheat starch paste.
  • If you do not have already prepared wheat starch paste you can make it by yourself .




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