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Re: Historic wallpaper conservation question



You may want to contact the American Association for State and Local History
(AASLH) and the National Trust for Historic Preservation if you haven't
already done so.  Check out their web sites.  Both are national
organizations which provide support to museums, historic houses, and local
preservation efforts.

Beyond that, I don't know if this suggestion is feasible for you, but here
is a discovery I made when I previously worked in museums.  Tape lines on
the floor create a very effective barrier.  Granted it is psychological
only, but there seems to be something to it that conveys the message "Don't
step over this boundary."  Of course if your floor surface is historic
(finished wood, oriental carpets, etc.) you won't want to actually use
adhesive tape, but perhaps you can devise something that looks like a 1 1/2"
to 2" strip of tape (white of yellow) and lay it on the floor 1 or 2 feet
from the wall.  You might try ribbon from a fabric store or florist shop.

Good luck.

Catherine Bruck
University Archivist
Illinois Institute of Technology
Paul V. Galvin Library
35 W. 33rd St.
Chicago, IL  60616
312/567-6840
FAX 312/567-5318
bruck@iit.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU]On
Behalf Of Valerie Schafer
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 6:33 PM
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: Historic wallpaper conservation question


Hello,

I was hoping for a little conservation advice so I can convince management
to preserve their town just a little bit better. In the historic buildings
of Garnet Ghost Town, precious little is off-limits to the public. The
management plan specifies that we be as user-friendly as possible, so the
majority of our artifacts are not roped off or otherwise protected. Many
people handle them on any given day.

With that explained, in one of the rooms of our historic three-story hotel,
there are three layers of wallpaper (dating back as early as the 1890's),
all falling off to different degrees. I would like to protect this from
falling off completely (as it is in some other rooms) and from patrons
taking bits as souveniers (which is not unheard of). Roping the room off is
out of the question, unfortunately. How would you conserve this wallpaper?
It begins halfway up the wall, about waist-high, and continues up to a high
ceiling (perhaps 10 feet?). Put plexiglass over it? Mylar? And how would
you attach it without harming the wallpaper?

All ideas would be warmly welcomed. Thank you in advance for your insight
and your time.

Valerie Schafer

*:-.,_,.-:*:-.,_,.-:*:-.,_,.-:*:-.,_,.-:*:-.,_,.-:*:-.,_,.-:*:-.,_,.-:*

Valerie Schafer
Executive Director
Garnet Preservation Association
3255 Fort Missoula Road
Missoula, MT 59804
(406) 329-3914
<http://www.garnetghosttown.org>

*:-.,_,.-:*:-.,_,.-:*:-.,_,.-:*:-.,_,.-:*:-.,_,.-:*:-.,_,.-:*:-.,_,.-:*

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