Lamination

A few words about lamination.  Yes it is irreversible and heat is used
in the procedure, but these factors alone do not make this procedure
undesirable.  (Deacidification is irreversible and heat set tissue uses
heat.)  The *quality of materials used* is of critical importance.
Cellulose acetate does not have the long term stability once thought,
when it was use along with tissue to "laminate." (This did not produce a
shiny appearance.)  Most of the lamination services offered today are,
however, not providing the type of lamination formerly employed by
archives.  Vendors offering lamination services today are usually doing
the "shiny" "driver's license lamination,"--useful if a short-term
durable product is needed.  It is not appropriate if there is a concern
with permanence or preserving the artifactual integrity of the item.

Hilary A. Kaplan
Conservator
Georgia Department of Archives and History

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 6:34
                  Distributed: Sunday, January 3, 1993
                        Message Id: cdl-6-34-006
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