Subject: Faded carbon copies
Since reading Steve Reitci's query on faded carbon copies, I have received a copy of International Preservation News No.9, April 1995. (Newsletter of the IFLA Core Programme) On page 9, an article appears on Chinese Inventions for Protecting Deteriorated Writings, by Prof Li Yuhu. Prof Yuhu has developed a range of products based on the analysis of the chemical composition of the residue of deteriorated writing materials. These are applied to diffused and faded inscriptions in ballpoint ink and carbon papers, in restoring the chromophoric group in dye molecules, usually Crystal violet and Victoria Pure Blue. He concludes: "In China this technique has been applied for practical preservation in archival works. Local tests and careful checks may be required if the methods were to be tried at your own repository." For more information contact: Professor Li Yuhu Director of the Scientific Research Section Archives of Shaanxi Province 35 Heping Lane Jiang Guo Road Xi'an 710001 China +86 29 721 3855 Dale Peters Paper Conservator University of Natal *** Conservation DistList Instance 9:2 Distributed: Saturday, June 17, 1995 Message Id: cdl-9-2-003 ***Received on Tuesday, 13 June, 1995