And I’ll third that opinion. But at the same time it
should be noted that Ware, who is the most knowledgeable and thorough
researcher that has ever studied the cyanotype, quotes the standard 1945 Holtzman
reference—which uses a pH 9.4 solution of sodium carbonate/bicarbonate to
test the resistance to alkaline hydrolysis of various cyanotype formulations.
And Ware’s own tests used a paste of calcium carbonate powder and water.
Rather extreme tests, and still no one has demonstrated their applicability to
real life storage conditions. A valid case has been made by Ware, but he also
relies on the old “generally-accepted conservation practice”—a
practice that began and has been continued by people often unaware of the facts
behind the myths.
Gawain
From: Loris Medici
[mailto:mail@loris.medici.name]
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 7:06 AM
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: RE: buffered matte board??
Second
this...
See a quotation from the paper "A Blueprint for Conserving
Cyanotypes" by Mike Ware:
"...The question
of buffered storage enclosures and mounts
It is now generally-accepted conservation practice that cyanotypes should not
be mounted on, or stored in alkaline-buffered materials. Calcium carbonate
clearly poses a threat to cyanotypes when in direct contact with the image; but
it has little ability to migrate through cellulose, so the dangers of
chalk-buffered enclosures can be overstated. It seems prudent, however, to
continue the use of unbuffered materials for the mounting or wrapping of
cyanotypes, where direct contact is involved..."
Full text URL (in Word format):
http://www.mikeware.co.uk/downloads/Conserving_Cyanotypes.doc
I
personally prefer to act in a prudent manner (just like Bob, Mike and many
others) - in place of being disgraced later by an unproven fact...
Regards,
Loris.
-----Original
Message-----
From: Robert W. Schramm [mailto:schrammrus@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 4:40 AM
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: RE: buffered matte board??
I must slightly disagree with Gawain Weaver's statement. I have actually
used mild alkaline solutions to bleach or lighten cyanotypes. A cyanotype
matted in a buffered board will be unaffected provided that the humidity is
low. I have seen cases where there has been some bleaching of the edges of a
cyanotype print where it has been in close proximity to a buffered matt
board probably as a result of being kept in a higher humidity environment. I
would not take the chance of using buffered board to matt any of my
cyanotype prints that I consider worth matting. I'm not sure about
chrysotype
but why gamble when unbufferd board doesn't cost any more.?
Bob Schramm