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
                                  ***