TREATMENT PROPOSAL/AUTHORIZATION FOR TREATMENT
TEMPORARY ID # 03-43
Date: 2/2/03
IDENTIFICATION OF ARTIFACT(S)
Owner/Custodian:
Center for American History
Address:
University of Texas at Austin
Sid Richardson Hall
Curator:
Brenda Gunn
Telephone:
495-4385
Owner/Custodian Call No.:
None
Title/Subject/Description:
Plat map
Creator:
Unknown
Date of Production:
1830?
Place of Production:
Unknown
Approximate Dimensions (hxw):
32cm x 39.4cm
12 9/16” x 15 1/2”
Conservator:
Melissa Bradshaw
Authorization
The undersigned requests and authorizes PCS/GSLIS University of Texas-Austin, Austin, TX, to undertake
conservation treatment of the artifact described in the attached Condition Report according to the procedures
outlined in the appended Treatment Proposal. In the event the Owner/Custodian authorizes PCS to proceed with the
treatment recommended in the proposal such authorization shall be deemed to include acceptance by the depositor
of the terms and conditions appearing in the original Authorization for Examination and Treatment.
Signature of Responsible Officer
For Owner/Custodian:
Date:
Original to Owner/Custodian
Copy to Preservation and Conservation Studies
Object/Title/Description:
Owner/Custodian:
TREATMENT PROPOSAL
Treatment Objective:
To stabilize document for long-term storage and research.
Description
The document is a hand-drawn and –written map in iron gall ink on handmade paper. It is a
sketch of an area of land with a grid of roughly seven rectangles across and nineteen rectangles
down. Each rectangle of the grid contains a property-owner’s name. An arrow pointing down
with “East” to the right of it is on the left side of the grid. Some mathematical calculations are
written on the bottom left, next to the grid. On the verso, top right, facing the head, is a
signature. There are small stray red ink marks on the bottom left and bottom center. Iron gall
ink splatters appear in the center. A pencil mark appears above the signature.
Condition
The plat map has been lined with silk on the recto and verso. The iron gall ink has faded on the
left half of the document, particularly along the center crease. The ink has faded through to the
verso. Losses are apparent on many areas of writing due to iron gall ink corrosion. The paper
has been folded in eighths, creating tears and losses along the creases. There are also losses
along edges. Smaller losses also occur along the edges of the ledger. Brown discolorations
occur overall and are especially visible along the top and bottom horizontal creases, as well as on
the left-hand side. A brown line stretches across the right half of the verso. The bottom portion
of the document has puckered. There are stains from the adhesive used for the silking
throughout the document, recto and verso.
Testing
All testing preformed under the microscope.
Inks
Dry cotton swab touch
Cotton swab with
deionized H2O touch
Iron gall ink—No
offset
Red ink—No offset
Chromatography
paper with
deionized H2O touch
Iron gall ink—No
offset
Red ink—No offset
Chromatography
paper with
deionized H2O – 10
seconds
Iron gall ink—No
offset
Red ink—No offset
Chromatography
paper with
deionized H2O –
30 seconds
Iron gall ink—No
offset
Red ink—No offset
Iron gall ink—No
offset
Red ink—No offset
Chromatography
paper with EtOH touch
Iron gall ink—No
offset
Red ink—No offset
Chromatography
paper with EtOH –
10 seconds
Iron gall ink—No
offset
Red ink—No offset
Chromatography
paper with EtOH –
30 seconds
Iron gall ink—No
offset
Red ink—No offset
Drop of deionized
H2O on the surface–
1 minute
Iron gall ink—Slight
flaking and
softening
Red ink—slight
softening
Drop of EtOH on
the surface–1
minute
Iron gall ink—No
change
2
Object/Title/Description:
Owner/Custodian:
TREATMENT PROPOSAL
1. Wash document in alkalinized, deionized water.
2. Remove silk lining.
3. Mend tears and losses.
4. House in original folder.
Photography
Nikon CoolPix 4500 digital camera
Before Treatment
1/13/03: Incandescent light—recto, verso
2/2/03: Raking light—recto, verso
2/2/03: Transmitted light
During Treatment
4/14/03: Incandescent light—recto
After Treatment
5/5/03: Incandescent light—recto, verso
5/5/03: Raking light—recto, verso
5/5/03: Transmitted light
TREATMENT REPORT
1. Document was observed under the microscope with raking light, on the light table and
under UV light.
2. Plat map was washed in 3 successive 15-minute warm baths of deionized water with 2-3
drops of saturated calcium hydroxide solution, during which silk lining was removed and
surface was brushed to remove starch residue.
3. Plat map was washed for 10 minutes in a bath of deionized water and saturated calcium
hydroxide solution at a pH of 9. pH was determined using EM Reagents 5-10 pH
indicator sticks.
4. Document was dried between blotters and boards.
5. Applied moisture and heat to remove overlapped areas of paper.
6. Document was washed in warm bath again to remove of more adhesive residue.
7. Mended tears and losses with Kizukishi (toned and untoned) and wheat starch paste
3
Object/Title/Description:
Owner/Custodian:
8. Housed in original folder.
Approximate treatment time: 9.5 hours
Signature of Responsible Student:
Signature of Accepting Faculty Member:
Date:
4
Object/Title/Description:
Owner/Custodian:
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Albro, Sylvia Rodgers, and Thomas C. Albro. "The Examination and Conservation Treatment of
the Library of Congress Harkness 1531 Huejotzingo Codex." JAIC 29.2 (1990): 97-115.
"This article describes the technical examination and conservation treatment of an important
manuscript from post-conquest Mexico that contains eight fold-out Indian pictographs from
Huejotzingo on native papers." The types of conservation treatment used on the text include
nonaqueous deacidification, disbinding and rebinding, silking reversal, and others. The silking
was done with Crepeline and on top of a significant amount of surface soil, causing an alteration
in appearance and texture of the silked leaves as compared the the unsilked leaves of the
manuscript. The authors explain the procedure in which the silk was removed, which involved
the application of an alpha amylase enzyme solution to prevent transfer of ink onto the silk.
Hamm, Patricia Dacus. "A History of the Manufacture of Printing Ink from 1500-1900 with
Notes for the Conservator." IPC Conference Papers Manchester 1992. London: Institute of
Paper Conservation, 1993. 30-34.
As the title states, this article discusses the composition of various inks, both typographic and
copper plate, and how their manufacturing processes differ through periods in history. Scanning
electron microscope micrographs of ink samples are included. The micrograph of a control ink
sample is compared to ink samples that have been exposed to 1.) calcium hydroxide, 2.)
acetone, 3.) ethanol, and 4.) deionized water, respectively. Through this study the author is
demonstrating the possible effects that conservation treatments can have on printing inks.
Krueger, Holly H. "The Core Collection of the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress."
Book and Paper Group Annual 14 (1995).
This article highlights some of the Library of Congress' treasures, such as George Washington's
first inaugural address, Alexander Graham Bell's first drawing of the telephone, and Martin
Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and how they are used for outreach and educational
purposes. It also explains how the treasures are helpful for conservators in learning "historical
approaches to treatments as practiced at the Library." One of the popular treatments was silking.
The author explains how silking came to be used as a conservation treatment for fragile
documents and the processes in which it was applied. Risks are described as well, e.g.
degradation of the silk itself and decreased surface pH of the artifact. Krueger summarizes the
process in which a page of Abraham Lincoln's student sum book was de-silked, describing what
composed the bath solution and what was used to mend the manuscript after the silk was
removed.
Reissland, Birgit. "Ink Corrosion: Side-Effects Caused by Aqueous Treatments for Paper
Objects." Postprints of the Iron Gall Ink Meeting. Ed. A. Jean E. Brown. The University of
Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne: Conservation of Fine Art, 2000. 109-14.
In this article the author discusses the risks involved in aqueously treating paper artifacts
containing iron gall ink. These risks include alterations to the appearance of the ink surface,
formation of crystal deposits on ink surfaces, pH-induced changes in ink color, and "bleeding".
Various aqueous treatment methods in order to reduce the risk of mechanical damage are
discussed, and this depends on the degree of degradation in the paper.
5
Object/Title/Description:
Owner/Custodian:
---. "Visible Progress of Paper Degradation Caused by Iron Gall Inks." Postprints of the Iron Gall
Ink Meeting. Ed. A. Jean E. Brown. The University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne:
Conservation of Fine Art, 2000.
This article illustrates the various stages of corrosion that iron gall ink causes in paper, as well as
factors that affect the degree of corrosion. Some of the factors include storage conditions in
which the object with signs of corrosion is kept, the type and weight of the paper, and the amount
of ink that was applied to it. The author experimented with various papers and inks and
submitted them to artificial agin to demonstrate and compare a pattern of degradation that iron
gall ink has on paper. She provides photographs of examples showing the stages of corrosion,
classifying them as "good", "fair", "poor", or "bad" condition.
6