Repairing parchment with collagen

The Following is posted on behalf of Christine Hughes who does not
have email access.

    At Hull City Archive Office we are currently researching the
    history, background, and use of collagen as a repair material
    for parchment.   We are also attempting to gather information on
    it's manufacture, and it's uses outside the field of
    conservation.

    We believe that there are about fifteen companies world-wide who
    manufacture collagen for the food industry.   Those known so far
    are

        *   Naturin GMbH and Co, Weinhem, Germany, and in Kent,
            England

        *   Devro, Glasgow, Scotland, and Sydney, England

        *   A subsidiary company of Unilever in the U.S.A. (name
            unknown)

    Does anyone know of any more?

    It appears that collagen was originally used widely in North
    America and France for cooking meats, particularly when cooking
    ham.  It was placed between the meat and the bone during cooking
    to prevent the flesh from turning black.   It is used in
    speciality meats in the U.K. around Christmas time.

    Does anyone know of any other uses for collagen, past and
    present?

    Several adhesives have been used to attach collagen to
    parchment, from starch paste, through a dubious flirtation with
    gelatine, to the more recently popular, synthetic adhesives. Has
    anyone used isinglass with collagen?   We are in the early
    stages of experimenting with isinglass, and we are finding
    information on it's use very difficult to find.

    We would be grateful for any information on the use of collagen,
    and adhesives used.   Has anyone any information on the long
    term and ageing effects of collagen.

    Christine Hughes
    Hull City Record Office

        **** Moderator's comments:   Collagen, in various forms, is
        used in medicine, especially in cosmetic and reconstructive
        surgery, treating wounds, etc. One company around here (Palo
        Alto, California) is the Collagen Corporation
        <URL:http://www.collagen.com/>

Jonathan S. Farley

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:87
                  Distributed: Tuesday, April 8, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-10-87-009
                                  ***