From: Bob Kiss (bobkiss@caribsurf.com)
Date: 03/21/02-05:54:47 AM Z
DEAR SANDY,
In Ansel's case the bugs could have feasted on the over matte to which
the print was hinged or to the back matte to which it was held with corners
(the kind into which you slide the corners of the print). Standard
practice is to use a windowed over matte and a back board, both of 100 %
cotton museum board. This should provide sufficient distraction (and quite
a feast) to those little buggers and can be changed very easily with no
special processes or risk of damage to the print. It is not a matter of "To
board or not to board"...that is the not question. The whole point is the
easy change...but to still use whatever arrangement of boards you prefer.
And, in the case of hinging you have two choices: 1) to use a very low
stick archival tape and to remove and replace it when changing the mattes or
2) To use a strong stick archival tape and slice it even with the edge of
the print when removing it and put the new tape directly over the remnants
on the back of the print when replacing it. I use this second method. Less
risk of damaging the print.
CHEERS!
BOB
----- Original Message -----
From: Sandy King <sanking@clemson.edu>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2002 12:54 AM
Subject: Re: Archival Matters
> 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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