Category Archives: Objects

Grooved Disc Media Storage Solutions

Record album in front of vertical sleeved albums.

Grooved Disc Media

Although The Preservation Lab is primarily a book and paper lab, we often receive items that fall outside this realm and are required to do a little research and get creative. I was recently assigned a small collection of various grooved disc media that required archival storage solutions. “Grooved disc media” is an umbrella term that encompasses any type of sound recording that features small grooves cut into its surface that a stylus then passes over to produce an audio signal. Think vinyl records, shellac discs, 45s and more. Another term I like that covers multiple varieties of grooved discs is the term “records”, which I will use interchangeably with “grooved discs” for the remainder of this post.

Considerations

Until this point, we had not received any grooved disc media requiring new housing at the Lab. In situations like this, I like to do a bit of research and figure out what is required of the housing to determine what is required for safe storage. We found several trustworthy sources that provided tips for what to do as well as what not to do. The most important ones are as follows:

First and foremost, any grooved disc should be stored upright. When multiple discs are placed on top of each other, their collective weight can compound quickly. This weight can then slowly compress the grooves on the discs and result in loss of media.
Grooved discs should have their old plastic sleeves, both inner and outer, replaced with archival plastic sleeves. Older records often have non-archival plastic outer sleeves that are susceptible to warping over time. This can lead to the discs themselves warping, affecting playback speeds which can lead to further degradation. We ended up purchasing these Original Master Sleeves and Archival Record Sleeves, both made by Mofi Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.

A plastic album sleeve that is curling around the edges. — A non-archival plastic outer sleeve. Notice how the plastic is starting to curl along the edge.

Two new archival sleeves, the outer sleeve is on the left and the inner sleeve is on the right. — A new archival plastic outer sleeve (left) next to a new archival plastic inner sleeve (right).

The original cardboard sleeves should be retained if desired and if they contain any information or artwork related to the recording. However, it is advisable to store these separate from the sleeved records, or at least with the record inside a protective archival inner sleeve before placing it inside the cardboard. These cardboard sleeves can sometimes foster mold growth in high humidity environments.
Ideal relative humidity for the storage environment is between 30-50% with fluctuations not exceeding +/- 5% in a 24-hour period.

Solutions

After learning all these considerations, assistant conservator Catarina Figueirinhas came up with the following solution.

The finished sleeving system for each albums with numbers indicating to various parts of the system. — The tray and its various components that was designed to hold the records in their new archival sleeves.

Individual corrugated board trays were constructed for each disc. Corrugated board was chosen because it is lightweight, inexpensive, and relatively strong. They were cut slightly oversized to provide room for protective bumpers to the left and right of where the sleeves will be attached.
Each disc was placed inside its own archival inner sleeve. These are the sleeves that Mofi refers to as “Original Master Sleeves”. Each disc inside its inner sleeve was then placed inside the archival outer sleeves, which Mofi refers to as “Archival Record Sleeves”. In cases where a cardboard sleeve was present, they would also be placed inside these plastic outer sleeves. The disc’s inner sleeve should protect it from coming into contact with the non-archival cardboard, and the plastic outer sleeve will also help protect the cardboard from damage.
A final pocket was constructed of Tyvek to store each disc inside its sleeves, which was then adhered to the corrugated board trays using PVA.
To prevent any potential abrasion to the discs while sliding them in and out of their final enclosure, several small, corrugated board bumpers were added to the left and right of each attached Tyvek pocket that were thicker than the pocket and all its contents.
A single corrugated board banker’s style box was constructed to house each disc/tray in the series.
To help with removal, Tyvek tape pull tabs were added to each individual tray.
After adding all the trays and their discs to the banker’s box, it was discovered that the box was quite top-heavy and prone to tipping over. To combat this, I added a strip of Dibond (a composite material consisting of a polyethylene core sandwiched between two pieces of aluminum sheeting) to both the bottom of the inside of the box and to the underside of it as well. This provided extra weight to the bottom and added some nice stability. For future enclosures of this nature, I will make the box thicker, adding fill if necessary. This make it more stable without the need to weight the bottom of the box.

Assembly of the box with various trays with tabs which allow for easy removal from the enclosure. Components are numbered in the photo. — The banker’s box style enclosure with its lid removed to reveal the contents.

Inside of the enclosure to show the Dibond on the bottom of the enclosure, labeled 7. — The banker’s style box with its trays removed revealing a piece of Dibond lining the bottom. An additional piece of Dibond has been added to the underside of the box for added stability.

Final Thoughts

Although this storage solution will almost certainly continue to evolve as I make more of them, I was very happy with how the first batch turned out. Part of the fun of creating new storage solutions is figuring out what works and what doesn’t and adjusting accordingly.

On a side note, I realize that some readers of this post may be concerned for their record collections as they do not have a conservation lab at their disposal to construct an enclosure like this. To that I would say that any of the storage considerations mentioned that are achievable, such as storing discs upright and in new archival sleeves will go a long way in ensuring the longevity of your collections.

A huge thank you is deserved to both conservator Ashleigh Ferguson-Schieszer and assistant conservator Catarina Figueirinhas, who helped me brainstorm on this project.

Sources

Image References

https://www.andoveraudio.com/blogs/andover-audio-blog/top-10-must-have-records-to-get-your-vinyl-collection-started?srsltid=AfmBOooi6xGMbP_KTbsmdhr7_qyTJ3nL0xqIcwKuC1MEbDBqjOKsw36V

Unfolding the Challenge: Conserving Folded Parchment Deeds with Wax Seals

When a group of four folded parchment deeds arrived at the Preservation Lab, I was immediately excited about the project. It is not often that we work with parchment, particularly on “flat” items such as parchment deeds. I use “flat” in quotation marks because these were anything but flat once unfolded.

Four folded parchment documents stacked on top of one another for documentation. — Before treatment photography – four folded parchment documents.

At first glance, they looked deceptively simple: compact, neatly folded, and quite small. Once opened, however, they revealed large, creased, and cockled sheets of animal skin, some with fragile wax seals and one composed of multiple leaves stitched together along the bottom edge. (Prior to treatment, each document was photographed as they were received in the Lab):

Folded parchment document with ink handwriting and a documentation color checker.

These 18th-century documents, part of the Archives and Rare Books Library, include three indentures consisting of single parchment leaves, and one composed of three parchment leaves secured with wax seals and parchment stays along the lower edge. They record land leases and property transactions.

The documents were brought to the lab for stabilization and improved access for teaching and research. In their folded state, they were difficult to handle, especially the multi-leaf example, which could not be fully examined as stored. Centuries of folded storage had clearly left their mark.

Overhead view of a parchment document with three leaves, unfolded, and held in place with glass weights. — Parchment document with three parchment leaves.

Overhead view of a parchment document, unfolded, and held in place with glass weights. — Parchment document with three parchment leaves.

So how do we safely unfold and stabilize these items for handling, teaching, and research?

Parchment is highly responsive to humidity. It expands, contracts, cockles, and stiffens depending on environmental conditions. Long-term folded storage had left deep set creases, and exposed areas showed noticeable darkening. These distortions became even more apparent under raking light photography.

Overhead view of a parchment deed with three wax seals, with light source casting shadows over the document to show the folds.

Overhead view of a parchment deed with no seals, with light source casting shadows over the document to show the folds.

Treatment Approach

Flattening parchment is never as simple as adding moisture and pressing. Too much humidity risks gelatinization, while too little leaves folds unchanged. Wax seals add another layer of complexity since they are brittle, protruding, and highly sensitive to pressure. To begin conservation treatment, each document was first surface cleaned using a hydrophilic sponge to remove surface grime. Ink testing followed to ensure stability before any humidification. All inks tested were stable, and no iron gall ink was detected. With testing complete, humidification could begin.

Parchment document under suction on a suction table. — Drying on the suction table.

The single-leaf documents were humidified in short cycles within a cold humidity chamber. After each cycle, they were dried gradually under felts, with pressure slowly increased and carefully kept away from seal areas. Drying methods were adapted depending on structure and condition. One single-leaf document without seals was dried under tension on the suction table, while the others were dried under felts and weights, again avoiding direct pressure on wax seals.

The Multi-Leaf Document

The multi-leaf deed required a more complex and iterative approach. It consists of three parchment leaves attached together, each responding differently to moisture. Initial humidification was carried out using an ultrasonic dome with a Gore-Tex barrier supporting the lower leaf. The upper leaf responded well, but the middle leaf remained resistant. To improve moisture distribution, unbuffered interleaving paper was placed between the leaves. Even so, the middle sheet required additional targeted treatment.

View of the humidification/suction table with parchment documents inside awaiting humidification.

View of the humidification/suction table with parchment documents inside being humidification.

The most effective approach combined localized humidification with staged flattening. Each leaf was treated individually while the others were protected with polyester film and weighted mat board to prevent unwanted moisture transfer or movement. Stubborn folds were gently humidified using a localized ultrasonic humidifier and immediately set under pressing stacks of blotter and Hollytex, followed by gradual weighting. This allowed controlled relaxation of specific areas without over-treating the entire object.

Conservator holding humidifier nozzle to locally humidify parchment document as it's being flattened on the suction table. — During treatment – localized humidification for the multi-leaf document.

The process was highly collaborative, often requiring two or three people working at once. One person applied moisture and guided the parchment while another adjusted weights and pressing materials in real time. Throughout treatment, wax seals were carefully protected using mat board barriers and spacing systems to ensure they remained free from pressure. Once fully relaxed, the document was dried under felts with weights in place, while polyester sheeting remained between the leaves to prevent adhesion or distortion.

Wax seals

Three of the four documents retain wax seals along their lower edges. These seals were structurally fragile and were consolidated using fish gelatin applied with a fine brush. During treatment and flattening, they were carefully isolated so that no direct pressure was applied.

Parchment document under holly-tex, blotter and weights. — During treatment – multi-leaf document after humidification and flattening.

Housing for Support and Access

Following treatment, each document was rehoused in a custom sink mat system. Before constructing the full-sized enclosures, I made a small working model using a scrap piece of parchment to ensure that what I had in mind would actually function for these large documents in practice.

Small matting system, opened, with ethafoam on lid, mylar and mat board supports and small piece of a parchment document. — Small scaled model of the enclosure for each parchment document with the different components, including sink mat and polyester film sling.

Small sink mat model with a parchment document fragment inside. — Small scaled model created for the parchment documents.

The documents rest on polyester slings secured within sink mats and are held in place with cloth ties. The interior lids are lined with Ethafoam, providing gentle compression and helping to minimize movement caused by environmental fluctuations. The multi-leaf document required additional structural support through reinforced mat board construction. The three smaller documents were housed together in a corrugated clamshell enclosure. This housing balances long-term preservation with accessibility, allowing the documents to be safely handled for teaching and research.

All four matting systems stacked on top of one another. — Each document housed in a custom matting system.

Multi-leaf parchment document in matting system with sink mat and polyester sling.

Single leaf parchment document in L-sleeve in matting system.

Final results

Raking light photography after treatment shows a clear reduction in creasing, along with a noticeable shift in how the documents behave physically. The parchment still carries evidence of its long folded history, as these materials tend to do, but it is no longer locked into those distortions. While not perfectly flat, the material is now stable, supported, and significantly less stressed along its former fold lines. Under raking light, what once appeared as sharp ridges and tension lines now reads as a softer, more coherent surface. It feels as though the parchment has settled back into itself after a long period of compression.

Overhead view of a parchment deed with light source casting shadows over the document to show the folds. — Before treatment

Overhead view of a parchment deed with light source casting shadows over the document to show the folds, which have reduced. — Before treatment

Overhead view of a parchment deed with handwritten ink inscriptions, with light source casting shadows over document to show where creases and folds were. — Before treatment

Perhaps the most satisfying change, though, is in handling. What began as awkward, resistant objects that required constant caution are now stable enough to be lifted, viewed, and studied with far more confidence. They remain delicate, but they are no longer unpredictable in the same way. There is a clear sense that they can finally move between storage, teaching, and research without the same level of hesitation at every step.

Overhead view of multi-leaf parchment document with creases and folds where it was folded. — Before treatment

Overhead view of a multi-leaf document with creases and folds reduced after treatment. — Before treatment

Overhead view of the multi-leaf parchment document after treatment in the matting system with a sink mat and polyester sling. — After Treatment – parchment document housed in a matting system with a polyester sling.

Catarina Figueirinhas – Assistant Conservator

Digging into a Family Bible

Small damaged cloth bound bible tied with cloth ties to keep it together.

I picked this tattered Bible up off the shelf where it had been waiting for an enclosure thinking it would be a quick and easy project. All it seemed to need was a corrugated clamshell and a pocket for some ephemera – easy enough. What I wasn’t expecting was for the ephemera inside of this book to be human hair. Multiple locks of it.

A card that accompanied the bible from Kenton County Public Library said that the family listed in this Bible (last name of Gegner) seemed to be more Cincinnati-based than Northern Kentucky-based, and it ‘contained lots of interesting items within.’ And ‘interesting items’ was an understatement!

Along with the Bible was a folded handkerchief, which, when unfolded, contained a small lock of hair tied with a blue ribbon.

Unfolded handkerchief with a small lock of hair tied with a blue ribbon, sitting next to the cloth bound bible, tied with cloth string.

I thought this was the interesting items mentioned but decided to untie the Bible and peek through it as well. Imagine my surprise when I came across another lock of hair tucked within the pages! But it didn’t stop at one – I ended up uncovering three locks of hair, three pressed flowers, and one icon of Jesus and the Sacred Heart that seemed to be hand embroidered.

Another lock of hair pressed between the bible's pages.

Another lock of hair tied with ribbon, pressed between the bible's pages.

Large clump of hair within the bible's pages.

After talking to some people about the Bible at our annual open house, it came to my attention that this Bible is probably a family Bible, used to keep family records. I also was made aware that typically in family Bibles, deaths, births and marriages are recorded on the pages between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Lo and behold, when I opened this Bible to the New Testament, sure enough there were birth and death dates!

Handwritten inscriptions of birth and death dates written in the bible.

As mentioned above, this Bible wasn’t in for any major treatment – it received a corrugated clamshell with some fill to make it 5” x 7” so it doesn’t get lost on the shelves, and a pocket was made and attached to corrugated board to keep the handkerchief and the card from Kenton County Public Library. Additionally, the newly discovered items inside the Bible were also placed in polyester sleeves, in order to protect the pages, and then laid back in where they were found. These efforts will help to keep the Bible stabilized on the shelf, so it will be useable for longer.

While this Bible isn’t connected to any famous names, it’s still amazing to know that we are helping preserve local history. Hopefully, we can help future generations get a glimpse into their past relatives’ lives by preserving something like this Bible.

Nicole Browning – Conservation Specialist

3D Imaging Workshop in the Lab

This past December, the Lab hosted a small 3D Imaging workshop for a group of digital imaging colleagues. The workshop was led by UC School of Art professors, Jordan Tate and John-David Richardson. Colleagues from Ohio University Libraries, the Ohio State University Libraries, Library of Michigan, Veterans Affairs History Office in Dayton and UC Libraries were able to join us for this amazing opportunity to learn practical, high-resolution 3D imaging techniques using a simple setup.

Person kneeling behind a camera with four other people standing behind him. — Jordan demonstrating to the group how to set up a low-angle shot.

Prior to the workshop, I had worked with UC Libraries special collections curators to attain a selection of various objects for imaging ranging from cuneiform tablets to plaster busts. For the workshop, we began with a painted wooden Nigerian statue from the Winkler Center. We walked through the imaging process first, using a fairly standard DSLR manual setup and a ring flash with a polarized filter. The object was placed on a motorized turn-table which allows you to determine how many rotations or shots you want per angle.

Yoruba statue, from the Winkler Center, being photographed on the motorized turntable.

Once all the images were captured, we moved onto the processing portion, using Agisoft Metashape Professional Educational edition.

Screen with 3D imaging software showing a model of an African statue being processed. — The model of the Yoruba statue being processed in Agisoft Metashape software.

After lunch we ran through another imaging and processing session, to reinforce what we had learned in the morning. Overall the day was incredibly successful and I am beyond grateful to Jordan and John-David for sharing their time, knowledge and passion for 3D imaging with the group. They truly made the imaging capture and processing experience fun and attainable!

Following the workshop, fellow Assistant Conservator, Catarina, and I were able to get some 3D imaging practice in; using what we had learned in the workshop and putting it into action. This was made possible by two very important factors: first, Jordan had graciously loaned us his equipment to use before the ’26 Spring semester began, including his polarized flash ring, and second, we had a couple of slower days, following our special collections returns and prior to winter break, which afforded both Catarina and I this time to learn and hone this new technique.

The combat medic statue from the Winkler Center being photographed.

In the end, Catarina and I ended up imaging three additional objects, including a Gothic manuscript from the Archives and Rare Books Library, a plaster bust of Antoine Lavoisier from the Oesper Collection, and a combat medic statue from the Winker Center.

Again, thanks to Jordan’s immense generosity, he has hosted the 3D models of the objects we captured on his site, so that they can be shared more broadly with a wider audience. If you can click on the links below (whether with computer, phone or tablet) you can view and manipulate the 3D models of each object, as well as read more about the object:

Yoruba statue from the Winkler Center (imaged during the workshop)
MS 2 Manuscript from the Archives & Rare Books Library
Antoine Lavoisier Bust from the Oesper Collection
Combat Medic statue from the Winkler Center

Again, a huge thank you to Jordan and John-David for their eagerness to share their knowledge during the workshop, and to Jordan for his ongoing generosity and collegiality. And, as always, thank you to our curators for supplying us with an array of objects for the workshop, and to our department head, Holly Prochaska, for her perennial support and advocacy.

Woman attempting to hug a 3D model of Antoine Lavoisier (bust). — Catarina attempting to hug the Lavoisier bust model. This model is being projected from an iPhone, allowing it to be “placed” on the table.

Jessica Ebert – Assistant Conservator

Allegheny River / Capt. J.W. McLaughlin

How to store a 15ft paper scroll?

Back in October of 2024, we received something slightly more unusual from the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, a 15-foot-long, hand-drawn rolled map of the Allegheny River. Yes, fifteen feet. This map was created by joining smaller sheets edge-to-edge, forming one continuous scroll that looked more like a treasure map than your typical library item.

Scroll with photography target in front of it

A dilemma quickly followed, how do I create a housing solution that’s safe and functional, but won’t turn future handling into a logistical nightmare? Like many libraries, they didn’t have a 15-foot shelf just waiting for this (because who does?), so storing it flat was out. Storing it rolled became our only real option. The enclosure needed to be secure and protective for the map, and ideally, easy and elegant to display when needed.

First things first, some stabilization treatment. Before tackling the housing design, the scroll underwent conservation treatment to mend small tears and fill losses, particularly at the “beginning” and “end” (depending on which direction you follow the river). Once stabilized, it was ready for some housing trials.

scroll partially unrolled — Before Treatment – Large loss and tear at one end.

While researching solutions online, I stumbled upon a fantastic blog post by J.M. Iacchei from the Cornell University Library Conservation Lab (link here). Their approach to scroll housing was clever, practical and elegant, and it just gave me the spark I needed to create our own version.

Here is how we rolled:

A support core – To give the scroll structure while rolling, I created a polyester cylinder core with a polyethylene sling. The sling supports one end of the scroll as it begins to wrap around the core, providing gentle guidance and protection as you start to roll the map. The map can be easily inserted into the sling to begin rolling.

Allegheny River / Capt. J.W. McLaughlin — Polyester cylinder core with a polyethylene sling to secure one end of the map.

Protection of the ends – The opposite end of the scroll was placed into a soft, transparent polyethylene pocket. It’s flexible, unobtrusive, and doesn’t need to be removed, even during after treatment photography.

Keep it rolled – Once fully rolled, the scroll was secured with a polyester belly band. The polyethylene pocket helped protect the scroll surface from any abrasion caused by the belly band.

rolled scroll with belly band to hold it in place — The rolled map is secured with a polyester belly band.

Display ready? – For display,I built a removable tray that cradles the rolled scroll without letting it rest directly on a surface. This tray doubles as a mini display platform, so the scroll can be partially unrolled and supported during handling and exhibit. Functional and elegant.

Rolled scroll secured within an enclosure tray — Display tray that offers support to the rolled map for long term storage.

I also tested a few other methods along the way, like supporting the entire scroll in a single 15-foot polyester sheet or sandwiching it between two. But the seams where the map’s original sheets were joined caused additional creases with those solutions. In the end, supporting the scroll in its entirety just wasn’t viable, so I pivoted to protecting the ends and letting the core do the heavy lifting.

Also: cutting two 15-foot-long sheets of Mylar by hand? Let’s just say I don’t recommend it… and I definitely don’t miss it.

Here is what a 15ft paper map looks like:

Catarina Figueirinhas – Assistant Conservator

Archeological Textile Discovery in the Stacks: The Treatment

This is the third post of a four-part series.

When a collection of Egyptian mummy bandage fragments at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library was found in an area used to store uncatalogued flat materials, the lab was asked to play a role in providing better stewardship.

Click the links below to jump to the following posts:

Research and Examination – Examining the material composition of the objects
History – Historical information provided about the Egyptian inscriptions
Treatment – How the materials were treated after learning about their content
Storage Solutions – Individual solutions for separated fragments as well as storage as a collection

Conservation Treatment Consultations

Being a primarily book, paper, and photograph conservator, working on textiles comes up only intermittently as minor stabilization or housing. When these projects do arise, I tend to consult immediately with a textile conservator. This project was no different. Generously, Obie from the Cincinnati Art Museum kindly visited the lab to look at the fragments with me in person.

Initial Treatment Idea

Before consulting with Obie, my initial plan was to cut the overall board and separate the individual fragments. Once separated, I thought I might hinge the fragments to a backboard inside a sink matting system. I had briefly corresponded with a textile conservator at the MFA Boston who is familiar with ancient textiles and she confirmed this would be a sufficient option.

Testing

However, with Obie present, together we tested the solubility of the adhesives and likelihood of removing the fragments from the acidic board for better storage. Surprisingly, we determined removal was possible with the smallest amount of moisture!

Being familiar with backing removals and conserving degraded cloth covers (and now encouraged after having Obie’s support) I next went beyond spot testing and decided to perform a test treatment on one of the fragments to remove the backing board… with the caveat that I would stop at any point if I felt uncomfortable. Should I ever feel out of my element at any step, or have concerns that removing the textiles from the backing would not keep them intact, I knew I could always pivot to my initial solution of storing the mounted parts in mats.

Treatment

My new plan was now to first reduce the acidic backing board layer by layer. Once the backing was removed, I would assess if it was appropriate to remove the brown paper lining. (While my test treatment was performed on only one of the smaller fragments, images below are pulled from the actual treatment for better illustration).

Low and behold on my first fragment, treatment proceeded without a hitch.

Archeological Textile Discovery in the Stacks: The Treatment

The board was removed slowly, layer by layer. The fragment was kept planar to prevent mechanical damage to the textile.

Before I knew it, it felt as though I was performing a regular backing removal on a photograph or document and soon found myself down to the final brown paper layer.

After removing multiple layers of board, the brown paper lining was revealed. Some areas of the brown paper were no longer adhered to the textile and readily released during mechanical removal while other areas remained more firmly attached.

At this point, with the backing and lining parts removed as much as possible, I decided to test a corner of the paper backing with light moisture. To my surprise, the paper backing adhesive quickly reactivated, the lining lifted with little effort, and the humidification strengthened the fibers of the linen fragment. All of this eased fears the fragments might fracture during final treatment steps. Proceeding with treatment felt obtainable.

The final step was releasing the brown paper lining with moisture from a water pen and lifting the lining with spatulas.

With this new turn of events, I realized, if I ventured so far as to remove both the mounted board AND the paper backing, I’d need a new storage solution.

I halted treatment and went back to the drawing board to research storage enclosures (click here to jump to my post on storage solutions). Once I felt confident in selecting a method of storage for the loose textiles, I resumed treatment to remove the brown lining paper and proceeded with treatment on the rest of the fragments.

This is a time-lapse video showing how the brown paper lining was removed in stages. Localized humidification was applied from the back while mechanically separating the paper from the textile with spatulas.

Before Treatment

Collection is mounted to an acidic board with two of the fragments oriented upside down.

After Treatment

Fragments are stored individually in storage solutions that double as long-term housing. The enclosures facilitate handling as well as display. Being stored individually, the fragments are able to be grouped as necessary by their context.

Recto, Normal Illumination
Verso, Normal Illumination

Recto, Normal Illumination
Verso, Normal Illumination

Recto, Normal Illumination
Verso, Normal Illumination

Recto, Normal Illumination
Verso, Normal Illumination

Recto, Normal Illumination
Verso, Normal Illumination

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Raking Illumination, Before Treatment
Recto, Normal Illumination, After Treatment
Raking Illumination, Before Treatment
Recto, Normal Illumination, After Treatment
Raking Illumination, Before Treatment
Recto, Normal Illumination, After Treatment
Raking Illumination, Before Treatment, Upside Down
Recto, Normal Illumination, After Treatment
Raking Illumination, Before Treatment, Upside Down
Recto, Normal Illumination, After Treatment
Raking Illumination, Before Treatment
Recto, Normal Illumination, After Treatment

To learn more about the storage, check out the final post of the four-part series: Storage Solutions!

If you missed the earlier installments, you can jump to previous posts using the links below:

Research and Examination – Examining the material composition of the objects
History – Historical information provided about the Egyptian inscriptions
Treatment – How the materials were treated after learning about their content
Storage Solutions – Individual solutions for separated fragments as well as storage as a collection

Acknowledgements

Katherine Davis, Lecturer in Egyptology in the Department of Middle East Studies at the University of Michigan
Suzanne Davis, the Associate Curator and Head of Conservation at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan
Dr. Ann-Katril Gill at the University of Leipzig
Marieka Kaye, Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation, Head, Conservation & Book Repair, University of Michigan Library
Obie Linn, Textile Conservator at the Cincinnati Art Museum
Ann Wuertemberger, Catalog Librarian at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
Meredith Montague, Textile Conservator at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer – Special Collections Conservator and Co-Lab Manager [CHPL]

Archeological Textile Discovery in the Stacks: The History

This is the second post of a four part series.

Click the links below to jump to the following posts:

Research and Examination – Examining the material composition of the objects
History – Historical information provided about the Egyptian inscriptions
Treatment – How the materials were treated after learning about their content
Storage Solutions – Individual solutions for separated fragments as well as storage as a collection

Learning About the Collection

Before coming to the lab, the library knew little about the fragments. So first and foremost, I reached out to a handful of scholars to see if I could glean any information. I soon found myself engulfed in a journey of discovery with each colleague leading me to a new reference, sharing a collective wealth of knowledge.

History

With generous information provided by colleagues, the library learned the following about the fragments (fragment measurements below are with height and width at the widest points):

Normal Illumination
Raking Illumination
Ultraviolet Fluorescence
Infrared Radiation

This is the center fragment. It contains Hieroglyphic script, measuring 21 x 23 cm. It’s part of a 3-piece set that belonged to a priest called Wennofer. The large scene in the middle belongs to Book of the Dead Spell 110 showing the deceased doing various things in the netherworld.

Normal Illumination
Raking Illumination
Ultraviolet Fluorescence
Infrared Radiation

This is the upper left fragment. It measures 8 x 14 cm. Script contains images and no preserved text. This is part of the 3-piece set that also belonged to a priest called Wennofer. Images belong to the vignette of Book of the Dead Spell 148. “For making provision for a spirit in the realm of the dead” this spell provides the names of the Bull of Heaven and his seven cows, providing an eternal supply of food and beer.

Normal Illumination
Raking Illumination
Ultraviolet Fluorescence
Infrared Radiation

This is the bottom right fragment. It contains Hieroglyphic writing and measures approximately 10 x 17 cm, containing a Thoth god image. It’s the final part of the 3-piece set that belonged to a priest called Wennofer. Preserved images are part of the vignette of Book of the Dead Spell 125, the so-called judgement scene.

Normal Illumination
Raking Illumination
Ultraviolet Fluorescence
Infrared Illumination

This is the bottom left fragment containing Hieratic script, however it is oriented upside down. It measures approximately 13 x 12 cm. There isn’t an owner’s name preserved so we’re unsure if it belongs with any other fragments in this collection. Images contain a shrine column, sections of Book of the Dead Spells 125 and 126, as well as traces of the vignette belonging to Book of the Dead Spell 125.

Normal Illumination
Raking Illumination
Ultraviolet Fluorescence
Infrared Radiation

This is the upper right hieratic fragment with Hieratic script. It measures approximately 9 x 7 cm. There is no owner’s name preserved.

Normal Illumination
Raking Illumination
Ultraviolet Fluorescence
Infrared Illumination

This is the bottom center hieratic fragment measuring 4 x 10 cm, also with no owner’s name preserved and oriented upside down.

Acknowledgements

Katherine Davis, Lecturer in Egyptology in the Department of Middle East Studies at the University of Michigan
Suzanne Davis, the Associate Curator and Head of Conservation at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan
Dr. Ann-Katril Gill at the University of Leipzig
Marieka Kaye, Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation, Head, Conservation & Book Repair, University of Michigan Library
Obie Linn, Textile Conservator at the Cincinnati Art Museum
Ann Wuertemberger, Catalog Librarian at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
Meredith Montague, Textile Conservator at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer – Special Collections Conservator and Co-Lab Manager [CHPL]

Just Peachey: Jeff’s Conservation Hand Tools Workshop

For one week in July, 2024, the Preservation Lab busted out belt sanders and opened the elbow grease to host a workshop taught by Jeff Peachey, learning all about making, modifying and maintaining our own hand tools. Jeff, a book conservator and master tool maker, brought all kinds of fun machinery and exciting tools for us to learn from and use. From hacksaws to pencil sharpeners, Jeff’s tool collection is inspiring, and we all left the week with some amazing new additions to our bench.

Delrin

We started the week off working with Delrin. Delrin, an acetal homopolymer plastic that appears similar to Teflon, was easy to shape with saws, files, scrapers and silicon carbide sandpapers. We burnished with sanding pads and polishing paper.

We started off with Delrin rods that we shaped into delicate heras. Heras are thin tools with spatula-like ends that Jeff says are great for delicate prying, inserting small amounts of adhesive, and lifting tape to name a few of the uses for this handy little tool.

We made a rough cut of the shape we wanted with the bandsaw, then smoothed everything out by going through a sandpaper grit progression. Once we’d crafted these, many of us tried our hand at making versatile Delrin folders. With lots of filing and sanding, this malleable Delrin was easy to manipulate into a variety of tool shapes, and no two tools were exactly alike.

Knives

Our second and third days with Jeff were all about M2 steel knifes, both sharpening them and making them. We learned all about using Jeff’s sharpening system and honed down our own Peachey paring knife. We also made two lifting knives out of Starrett 32T hacksaw blades by grinding the blades down on a belt sander and then taking them through the sharpening system with microfinishing films to achieve a sharp edge.

Sharpening knives turned out to be a complex process – a burr must be formed at each grit gradient before moving on to the finer grind, and if your hand position is off this could take some time. Furthermore, the wrong hand position could yield a bevel angle too big or too small on the plane of the knife. We aimed for an ideal bevel angle between 11 and 13 degrees.

Additional Knife Features

Some people chose to add grooves into the sides of their paring knives for a more comfortable grip; some of us chose to wrap our knife handles in leather and make horse butt sheaths for them. Matt was the bravest of all and mounted a custom carved wooden handle to his left-handed paring knife.

Grained Book Cloth

We also went over creating 19^th century grained book cloth on our third day. Through toning, glazing, then pressing with a die that has your desired pattern, it’s possible to create book cloth that mimics the textures of 19^th century book cloth. After going through the time-consuming process, the idea of making up large batches at one time became appealing.

Wood and Bamboo

On our fourth day we learned all about wood and bamboo carving. Using a chisel, wood plane or hatchet, we created the crude shape we wanted our wooden tools to take. Then we got to work sanding until the wood was smooth, and created a more precise shape. A final finish with nose grease or wax was optional.

Bamboo is great for creating thin, flexible tools. With our pieces of wood most of us created folders, but a few decided to make wooden handles for their knives or straight edges. Personally, my favorite tool I created the whole week was my wooden folder I made, though it was probably the hardest to create. I had to shape it using a small hatchet, then sand it for quite some time before it took on the shape that I wanted.

Stainless Steel

Our final day with Jeff was spent shaping stainless steel tools, which to me was the hardest material we worked with, as it took a lot of patience with the belt sander, and the metal was prone to heating up quickly and potentially burning our fingers. We created straight edges or 45 degree triangles, and even learned how to drill holes and attach small handles to these tools. We also had a thicker piece of stainless steel for creating a folder, which I found the most challenging of all. The stainless steel was harder to manipulate, understandably, and much less forgiving than the wood or Delrin.

We ended the week by testing the sharpness of our blades and doing a little show and tell of our favorite tools that we made. It was so amazing to see all the different tool shapes people were inspired to make based upon what they most used in their work.

Learning from Jeff was such an amazing opportunity, and it was so eye-opening and world-expanding to learn that so many of these tools we use every day can be created from our own hands.

Jeff did a fabulous job tailoring his tool-making workshop to the the availability of machinery and other logistics of our facility. As a result, the actual tools made in our version of this workshop vary from other workshops Jeff has taught, empowering us to keep making tools with our space in the future. If you ever have the chance to take this workshop, we highly recommend it!

Be sure to check out this Instagram post by Jeff featuring all of us showing off our favorite hand tools we created!

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A post shared by Jeff Peachey (@jeffpeachey)

Nicole Browning [CHPL] – Conservation Assistant

Preservation and Exhibition: DAAP Library’s Teaching Collection & Upcoming Gallery Talk (12/5)

For the past six months, Jessica and Catarina have been working with the DAAP Library on housing their Teaching art collection, including prior acquisition and newly acquired items. This collection consists of different art prints on paper, print plates and manuscript parchment leaves in need of long-term housing. In addition to housing, this collection is used for teaching in a classroom setting and for exhibition.

Most of the collection only requires simple matting systems, but some require more intricate matting systems such as the copper plate along with its print, a project mentioned in a previous blog post entitled How many magnets is too many magnets!?.

As some of the items of this collection were being prepared to go on exhibit, we had the opportunity to create mounts for other items, such as two parchment scrolls that were included in the exhibit. This was a fun project to work on, as it required us to create a support that would secure both scrolls, while providing an elegant solution for display.

To start, Jessica created a very rough small model with mat board, polyethylene strapping, and paper (as we always do with anything new in the lab, we do love model making!!). The model provided us the visual example that we needed to create the mount for the two scrolls.

Scroll mock-up — Small rough model created by Jessica

With the model in mind, we were able to engineer a good system that would provide support for the scrolls and could be used for display. The scrolls were supported with foam rolls on the inside for the rolled ends, and secured with polyethylene strapping that only touched the foam. The sections of the scrolls that were going to be displayed were also secured with polyethylene strapping that wrapped around the mat board support through slits in the board. At the bottom, the mat board extended outwards creating a small shelf to support the end of the scroll.

Two scrolls mounted to mat board with strapping — Scrolls mounted and ready for exhibition.

A small “shelf” of mat board supports the bottom of the scrolls.

Catarina adjusting the strapping on the mount.
A small “shelf” of mat board supports the bottom of the scrolls.
A small “shelf” of mat board supports the bottom of the scrolls.
The foam rolls support the inside of the scrolls and are secured with polyethylene strapping.
Jessica securing the foam roll that supports the scroll.

As a result of all the mounting and matting we did for the Teaching Art collection and for the scrolls, each item is currently on display at the DAAP Library entrance case:

Image of the exhibit — Current display at the DAAP Library featuring the Teaching Art Collection.

Close up of the scroll mounted on exhibit — A close-up of the scroll mounted on exhibition.

If you are interested in learning more about our preservation considerations for exhibition of this collection, Catarina and Jessica will be giving a short gallery talk on Tuesday, December 5th at 1pm, at the DAAP Library entrance on the 5th floor.

Catarina Figueirinhas [UCL] – Assistant Conservator

How many magnets is too many magnets?!

Recently Jessica and I started working on a series of special collection items from UC Libraries’ DAAP Library. These were recent acquisitions specifically bought to be used as a teaching collection within the DAAP Library. Most items are small prints and single manuscript leaves that need to be matted for exhibition and prepared for handling during class. We have been working on these in small batches since it is a much larger collection that keeps growing.

Most of the items we have received so far have been very straightforward matting projects, however we encountered one that was puzzling and fun to work on. We received this item: a proof print accompanied by its very heavy, copper engraving plate. The print was adhered to a paper brown envelope with no information and the copper plate was also unhoused.

Image of print on the left and the copper plate on the right, with a photography target below — Proof print (left) and engraving plate (right) before treatment and housing.

The curator of the collection wanted both items to be housed together and housed in a way that would allow students to touch the items, and also be able to use them for exhibits. We decided that both items would be matted individually, and then housed together in a thin corrugated clamshell box. The most challenging part would be to create a matting system that was strong enough to secure the very heavy copper plate and elegant enough to be used for exhibition.

The print itself received minor treatment, with the backing envelope being removed and the print housed in a polyester L-sleeve mounted with photo corners.

An image of the matted print — Print housed in a polyester L-sleeve and matted with photo corners.

With the engraving plate, I needed to figure out how to create a matting system that was strong enough to hold the copper plate in place, especially if used for an exhibit where it may be propped at a slight angle. After considering some options, I created a sink mat that would secure the plate halfway, and then the rest of the sink mat would be adhered to the window mat so the copper plate, resting on a polyester tray, could be pulled out of the mat easily. How would I keep the matting system closed? ….with magnets, lots of magnets! For this project I used 24 rare earth magnets.

Image of the matted copper plate — Copper engraving plate housed in a specialty sink mat with magnetic closures.

Diagram of the magnet locations in the sink mat — Matting system for the copper plate – a sink mat, half attached to the back mat and half attached to the window mat, all secured closed with magnets.

Copper plate partially removed from the matting system with a box highlighting the location of the polyester film tray — Copper plate slightly removed from the matting system by the polyester film tray.

This was a fun project to work on. After using 24 magnets and breaking a few in the process, the copper plate was securely housed in the sink mat, while also able to be propped up for exhibition and handled for teaching.

How many magnets is too many magnets?! — Before treatment

Image of the matted print and copper plate side by side with photography target below — Before treatment

Catarina Figueirinhas [UCL] – Assistant Conservator

Conservation photography by Jessica Ebert

Grooved Disc Media

Considerations

Solutions

Final Thoughts

Sources

Image References

So how do we safely unfold and stabilize these items for handling, teaching, and research?

Treatment Approach

The Multi-Leaf Document

Wax seals

Final results

Conservation Treatment Consultations

Initial Treatment Idea

Testing

Treatment

Before Treatment

After Treatment

Acknowledgements

Learning About the Collection

History

Further Reading

Acknowledgements

Delrin

Knives

Additional Knife Features

Grained Book Cloth

Wood and Bamboo

Stainless Steel