Rubber cement

I would like to comment on several of the submissions concerning the
treatment of photographs with rubber cement on the backs.

Excess adhesive and, to some extent, the staining of the photograph's
paper support can be reduced by treatment, especially through immersion
in the proper organic solvent.  However, there are many complicating
factors, including the type of photograph involved.  For example, some
photographic images are soluble in solvents.  Other can be irreversibly
stained by the solubilized rubber cement.  Treatment should only be
undertaken by a photograph conservator.

The best strategy is that proposed by Debora Derby of providing housing
for the photographs which will minimized the damage the adhesive may
continue to do to itself and adjacent materials.  Producing archival
copy negatives and prints is another solution depending on many factors:
present condition of the photographs (is irreversible image
deterioration already evident), size of the collection, value, etc.


Barbara Lemmen
Photograph Conservator
13 Farman Avenue
W. Lebanon, N.H.  03784
603-298-6071

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 8:63
                 Distributed: Sunday, February 12, 1995
                        Message Id: cdl-8-63-001
                                  ***