Paper fibers attached to silver gelatin photographs

Recently we became aware that part of the Korean/Japan negative
collection has paper fibres attached/embedded to either the silver
gelatin layer and/or the anti-halation layer. It seems the problem
occurred because contact prints were put on the storage envelopes
with a photo paste (possibly dextrin) which has leached through the
paper fibres subsequently attaching the paper to the gelatin.

Although the fibres can be removed mechanically with a scalpel under
a microscope we are looking for a simpler method, ie., a chemical
treatment that would allow the paper fibres to be wiped away without
major disturbance to the gelatin supercoat and/or the underlying
image formation.

Our conservation laboratory will investigate probable solutions to
this problem, but we wonder if there is a simple solution which has
been used with success without damaging the original negative
imagery.

Adrian Lautenbach
Australian War Memorial

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 9:45
                 Distributed: Friday, December 1, 1995
                        Message Id: cdl-9-45-017
                                  ***