Re: Archival Matters

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From: Sandy King (sanking@clemson.edu)
Date: 03/20/02-10:54:48 PM Z


Bob,

That is an interesting story and you make a good point.

Conversely, those same bugs that are so fond of the 100% rag boards
are equally fond of prints made on all rag papers, which most of us
use for the majority of our printing in alt work. In my research on
pictorialism I have seen numerous, in the dozens, of prints (gums,
oil, bromoil transfers, etc.) made on all rag surfaces that were
severely damaged by bug problems (and mold and mildew), that began on
the back of the print and migrated to the front. This is of course a
storage problem but a real life kind of problem that many prints are
likely to face.

So the question I have is this. Who knows what the condition of Ansel
Adams' prints would be today if they had not been mounted? Would the
bugs (and mold and spores) have just ignored the back of the paper?

Sandy King

>DEAR SANDY ET AL.,
> I feel like quoting that old song, "There, I've said it again!"
> The issue with lovely museum boards, especially 100% cotton, it that
>bugs like to eat them! And they are damaged regularly by handling and
>insecure storage. These are bigger concerns than whether the latest board
>will last 50, 75, or 100 years or will have any deleterious effect on the
>image if you use the latest technology in archival tissues and boards.
>This is why museums workers and curators shudder at the idea of
>standard (read irreversible) dry mounting.
> Regarding Ansel Adams, I repeat for, I think, the fourth time on this
>list that my friendly curator, Jose Orraca, makes a very good living
>un-mounting Ansel Adams prints due to insect or other damage to mount
>boards. It is a delicate, nasty, expensive process. So Ansel was wrong
>about mounting his own work...at least from the perspective of those
>collecting his work...and at HIS prices, one would hope for a minimum of
>trouble! Dry mounting is a bad idea if you care about those people who want
>to collect your work.
> And, again, when I asked Jose if I should dry mount my work, he said,
>"Please do...then when you are famous I can make MORE money un-mounting YOUR
>prints!"
>Tongue in cheek, of course! So another well known, working, archivist votes
>against dry mounting...other than to put more money in his own pocket!
> For those who have already read this, I apologize. For those who have
>already read this and disregard it...Proceed at your own risk but know that
>collectors are getting more savvy and knowledgeable every day...
> CHEERS!
> BOB KISS

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