From: Wayde Allen (wallen@boulder.nist.gov)
Date: 02/03/00-10:49:06 AM Z
On Thu, 3 Feb 2000, Richard Morris wrote:
> If the subject died 1839 it is very early and therefore not gold toned.
> Even a hair across the image will remove the mercury. Don't even attempt to
> clean it as even the usual methods are a bit suspect now. Unless the case
> is very badly damaged don't even take it out. At least make a photo first!!
>
> I can't answer for copying methods except that I find lighting almost
> parallel with the image seems to work. You will also need to have a large
> black card/cloth through which you poke the camera lanes else you will get
> its reflection in the original image. Even the lens surround should be
> black.
>
> Hope that helps but it work for me. But above all don't touch the original
> image. I have been taught how to clean them and even then images can be
> destroyed, just in the first water wash, so the moral is never do it
> unless absolutely vital.
All true! However, one can clean the cover glass. In fact, the
Daguerreian Society published an article about a year ago pointing out that
due to glass aging the cover glass should be changed if it is dirty or
shows signs of deterioration. The foil tape (preserver) around the
image can be carefully opened up, the cover glass removed, and preferably
replaced. You could photograph the plate at this point and then reassemble
the package using a good archival tape such as film-o-plast.
One certainly doesn't want to touch the dag plate itself though!
- Wayde
(wallen@boulder.nist.gov)
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