Metallic paper

I would be very grateful for any information about metallic-coated
papers: papers with a metal finish such as gold leaf, silver, tin,
or bronze varnish.  I realise that artists could gild papers
themselves and that tea-chest paper is often used as the support,
but wondered if anyone has more information about what prepared
metallic papers were commercially available, if any, around
1890-1900?  The Conservation Lab is working on a model by Sargent
for the murals in the Boston Public Library, and included amongst
the materials used by Sargent is gold paper.

I have found it practically impossible to find out about the
production of this paper or references to it at all (manufacture,
suppliers or any conservation treatment). Part of the problem I have
found in attempting to find more information is that there does not
seem to be a recognised term of definition, and it is referred to as
foil paper, metallic paper, gold/silver-coated paper and "gilt
paper" (not to be confused with "Dutch gilt paper" or "Brocade
paper"*).  The only article which I have found that refers to gilt
paper is "The Dutch Gilt Papers in the Collection of the Royal
Library in the Hague" by Henk Voorn published in 1984 and 1986  IPH
Yearbook, which is very informative but obviously talks mainly about
the "Dutch Gilt Papers"* which are coloured papers which have been
printed patterns with metal leaf (not whole sheets which is what I
am interested in).  He does say that "gold and silver-coated papers"
were being produced around 1690 by Abraham Mieser.

If anyone knows of any further references to gilt papers or papers
with a metal finish--production, distribution and conservation
treatments--I would be very grateful.  Thank you very much.
Katharine Lockett.

Katharine Lockett
Kress Intern in Paper Conservation
Straus Center for Conservation
Harvard University Art Museums
32 Quincy St.
Cambridge,MA 02138
617-496-1902
Fax: 617-495-0322

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:56
                 Distributed: Tuesday, January 5, 1999
                       Message Id: cdl-12-56-016
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