White gloves

D.R. Grauberger <graubec8231<-a t->uni< . >edu> writes

>....... My situation is that I need a good reference, in plain
>English, and preferably with pictures to convince them of the need
>for them to wear the white gloves as they work with the collection
>pieces. Perhaps something that demonstrates how a fingerprint can
>eventually burn itself into a metal object, or other example of
>metal damage by skin oils.

I would be more than happy to supply you with photographs of
fingerprints etched into the surface of brass as a result of the
transfer of uric acid (and other contaminants) from ones hands to
the metal.

Wearing cotton gloves does not protect the object from fingerprints
however. The material from which the gloves are made is an excellent
wicking agent thus the gloves tend to wick the fluids from your hand
onto the surface of an object. In my experience, it is far better to
use latex finger tips as there is no transfer of fluids, and their
use allows the hand to perspire without getting clammy. One could
use standard latex gloves but the perspiration can become
uncomfortable unless one wears an intermediate cotton glove between
the skin and the latex.

Another advantage of the latex fingertips is that they are
disposable, One tends to keep the cotton gloves because they
"appear" to have an intrinsic value and "should" not be disposed.
This practice leads to contamination because one usually has a pile
of "dirty" or "used" gloves hanging around that tend to be re-used
again and again. Good housekeeping practices are not always the
order of the day.

Jim Moss, PA
James Moss Clockmakers, Inc.

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:90
                  Distributed: Tuesday, April 22, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-10-90-010
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