Flattening paper

This was recently posted to Museum-L.  Any conservators want to
respond? I will forward verbatim responses to Museum-L.

    Date: 18 Apr 97
    From: J.A. Phillips, III <whstlpnk<-a t->ix< . >netcom< . >com>
    To:    museum-l<-a t->home< . >ease< . >lsoft< . >com

    I recently ran across this description of removing warps from
    paper in the following way on a genealogy newsgroup. Can anyone
    offer a critique of this method? A better method or reference
    guide?

       "I have worked with curled photographs and folded documents
        successfully in the following way: I purchased a very large
        plastic container like you use to store sweaters or a
        blanket. I then put distilled water in the bottom of this
        container. (about 1/2 inch). Take a pie pan or bowl turned
        upside down in the middle of the container.[I like to use
        ones that are small even so that the lid will still close
        but the documents have room not to be touching the cover]
        (this makes a surface where the document can stay but
        doesn't get into the water)  Place the photo on the pan/bowl
        and cover the container. Let it sit anywhere from 12 hours
        to a day or so. (Don't forget it!) Once the document has
        absorbed the moisture usually I can unfold it or unroll the
        photo.  You must then immediately place it between wax paper
        or photographic blotting paper and put a very large book on
        top of it.  Let it dry that way. I wouldn't try this with
        anything that is too crumbly, mostly I've worked with rolled
        photos or folded fairly solid paper documents."

        JPhillips
        Northern Pacific
        Tell Tale Newsletter
        Historical Association

Wendy Jessup

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:90
                  Distributed: Tuesday, April 22, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-10-90-022
                                  ***