Textiles and vinyl records

Recently the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Hawaii,
Manoa, received a gift of an extensive collection from Japan of
materials on the twentieth century left wing.  The donor is here in
Honolulu temporarily; he, the director of the center and I have been
consulting on some archival and preservation issues.  I am not a
conservator, so on those issues for which I have no knowledge, I am
turning to you.

One of the questions the surfaced concerned a group of flags, banners,
headbands, etc. with slogans painted on them.  In the process of going
through fumigation or freezing to pass through customs, to say nothing
of the process of being packed and shipped from Japan, many of the
textile pieces are badly wrinkled.  Can they be safely ironed?  If so,
with steam or without? at how low a temperature?  We should not find any
evidence of insect infestation, but if we do, is freezing adequate?  How
should the items be stored?  What interleaving if any between items is
necessary/recommended?

A second concern centered on a group of vinyl records.  They are much
smaller in diameter than the usual lp; these are about eight inches in
diameter. They are also so thin as to be flexible, almost floppy.  I
recommended we rerecord onto reel to reel tape and onto cassette tape
for public use.  How do we store the original disks however?  Do they
present a pollution problem?

Finally, if you have names of conservation resources in Japan which I
can give our donor, we would appreciate it.

Thank you,

James F. Cartwright
University Archives
University of Hawaii

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 6:63
                  Distributed: Thursday, May 27, 1993
                        Message Id: cdl-6-63-005
                                  ***