Dry point

I have a problem with a work which I have at the moment.

    Artist :   Le Gros
    Title :    Portrait - J F Watts
    Size :     312 x 247mm
    Plate :    183 x 13
    Medium :   Dry point in black ink
    Support :  Wove cream paper - multi layered & loose fibred
               (semi-japan) medium

Appearance - recto: The cream coloured borders are badly skinned
with the paper layers delaminating (possibly damage from mount
removal) and extremely cockled and creased.

The paper colour in the plate area is off white and has the
appearance of course sandpaper. There is a white crystalline deposit
over all the area (tests show sodium . Creases from the border
area that migrate into the plate area are showing as tears with very
short fibres.

The heavily inked area (shadow area of the face)  shows that the ink
is lifting off the surface. The definition of line has been lost and
shows deposits of white powder.

The plate area paper is very taut except for 6 small tears / creases
at the edge of the pate area only.

Appearance - verso: The paper colour in the borders is a mid brown.
The plate area is a lighter colour with the same surface distortion
as the recto with some surface dirt. A distinct water mark line
shows just wide of the plate area. Slight paper abrasion is visible
on all edges.

My preliminary research has lead me to believe that the print was
treated with sodium borohydride, as a local treatment (plate area
only) applied from recto with little or no preparatory treatment and
no washing afterwards. Comments on the prints appear to date from
the 1970's.

I am interested in hearing from people who have sighted similar
problems and would like to hear of any ideas on possible
stabilisation treatments.

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:18
                  Distributed: Friday, August 22, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-11-18-008
                                  ***