Formalin and formaldehyde resins in conservation

In Instance 12:60 Niccolo Caldararo asks for information about the
use of formalin and formaldehyde resins in Germany before 1900.

The only mention of formalin in Rathgen's pioneering conservation
handbook, "The Preservation of Antiquities" (first published in
German in 1898) is in the context of the control of algae and
bacteria in the vats used for soaking salt-contaminated Egyptian
limestone objects.  He does not mention urea-formaldehyde or
phenol-formaldehyde resins at all, but he does mention the use of
nitrocellulose ("Zapon") as a consolidant and lacquer.

Hope this (negative) information helps.

Barry Knight
English Heritage
London

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:61
                Distributed: Wednesday, January 27, 1999
                       Message Id: cdl-12-61-004
                                  ***