[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Scrape Book Preservation (?)



Dear Leaving Town,

First, I would keep the whole scrapbook in an acid-free box. If mounted
pieces were falling out or if I became absolutely convinced that there
was historical value to seeing the other sides of the pasted items, I
would first make a catalog of exactly where each item sat in the
scrapbook--by listing descriptions of them, in order of appearance, not
by marking them. Their order on the pages is probably at least somewhat
chronological and could have still more significance. If the creator
wrote any captions, one would record those in order too, matched with the
right descriptions. Personally, I would not remove items to look at their
backs unless they were falling out in my hands anyway. If it looks like
the papers are decaying rapidly even under good conditions, and the
binding is nonexistent or unimportant, you could also get encapsulation
material from archival supply catalogs and encapsulate each page--not
lamination, which is irreversibly harsh, but encapsulation where the
thin, stuck edges do not touch the artifact. Encapsulation would make it
more possible for a researcher to turn the pages. If you are equipped to
image the pages without too much light or heat exposure, great!

A serviceman going to Asia that much before US participation in WWII is
interesting. You are lucky to have it. :-)

Kathy Sturdevant, historian

On Fri, 11 Aug 2000 20:06:30 -0700 Richard King <kingr@U.ARIZONA.EDU>
writes:
> Dear Archipeople,
> I have recently acquired what at one time was a scrape book (covers
> gone).  The contents (c. 1937-38) are still intact although pages
> are
> wood pulp paper and beginning to break up.  Many items pasted down
> have
> material of interest on side pasted down or partially pasted down.
> Don't know yet if this material can be lifted off but will try at
> some
> point.  My question is how do/should I keep the original continuity
> flow.  This scrape book documents a service man going off Asia and
> events that occurred there.  Would you dismount and re-mount on acid
> free material?  Image, dismount and store individually?  Leave town?
> Any ideas gratefully accepted.  Dick King, University of Arizona

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>