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Re: Onion skin(?) paper



Julie:

I don't necessarily have a deciphering solution to your vexing problem, but
it sounds like you are dealing with a letterpress copy of an original
document. Letterpress was a popular reproduction medium of the 19th century,
and its simple technology predates both mimeographic and carboncopy forms.

Reading these things when there's as much excessive bleed-through as you
describe is a not-uncommon problem. I have only found that extreme patience
(backing up the tissue with white paper to lend minimal opacity) and
word-by-word deciphering/ transcription is about all one can do.

I would like to know if any of our esteemed colleagues have a better answer,
so would appreciate a general response posting to the whole list.

Kevin V. Bunker
Student Assistant
California State Archives

> ----------
> From:         Julie Holcomb[SMTP:jholc@NAV.CC.TX.US]
> Reply To:     Julie Holcomb
> Sent:         Monday, April 02, 2001 2:27 PM
> To:   ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
> Subject:      Onion skin(?) paper
>
> In one of my collections I have a letter from 1864 written on both sides
> of an onion skin or other thin, translucent paper.  The letter is
> impossible to read because the handwriting from the reverse side is
> visible on the front and the lines of the handwriting from each side
> line up perfectly.  We have tried photocopying and scanning to no
> avail.  We have figured out some of the words through the use of
> magnification.  Oh, and did I mention that at some point in this
> document's history someone patched a hole in the paper with scotch tape
> (and failed to line up the words)?!  Any suggestions on how we can
> decipher this document?
>
> Thanks in advance.
> Julie Holcomb
>
> --
> Julie Holcomb, Archivist
> Navarro College
> 3200 W. 7th Ave.
> Corsicana, Texas 75110
> Internet: jholc@nav.cc.tx.us
> Phone: 903-875-7438
> Fax: 903-874-4636
>
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Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
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Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>