Flattening parchment

Beth Schobernd <beth.mlbmhs<-a t->mhsgate< . >mlb< . >ilstu< . >edu> writes:

>My first inclination is to humidify the roll in the standard,
>low-tech, plastic bowl within a plastic ice cream container kind of
>humidification chamber.  Can I safely do that?  Is there a better
>option?

As we all know there are few methods for flattening parchment and
several variation for humidity chamber installations. The
conservator must decide upon the right treatment which will promise
best results and have maximum control when this intervention takes a
place. The condition of the parchment is a key factor before
decision making. Every parchment reacts differently to humidity and
it is good practice to start the humidification for short time
intervals 10-15 minutes.

I prefer to create the humidification chamber by using damp blotters
above and under the skin (Gortex or polyester web securing the skin)
and mylar on top of it. I think this schematic humidity chamber
installation is easier to work with. It seems to me that the plastic
bowl you suggested would be somehow problematic: as the skin will
start to relax, you would like to unroll it, or leaving some
temporary light weight on top of the skin until it is completely
be relaxed. It will be hard to achieve this inside that bowl.

I would suggest that for flattening you consider the panel
stretching method using bulldog clips and pins on a board. Make sure
to secure the bulldog clips with a small acid free 4-ply paper chips
for preventing indentation on the skin margins.

Michael Maggen
Senior paper conservator
The Israel Museum
Jerusalem Israel

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:72
                Distributed: Thursday, February 13, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-10-72-008
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