Firemarks

I wonder if anyone out there can advise me on the best care for
firemarks. These were signs put on buildings by insurance companies
to indicate whether or not the owners were insured by them.

The collection we have is mostly tin, lead and bronze and some of
them have corroded with a white formation on the surface. I intend
to remove them from their current wooden mounts and place them in
acid free tissue and envelopes but have been told by a collector
that we should also cover their surface with Vaseline.  I understand
that this will inhibit corrosion by stopping contact with air but,
aside from the mess involved, I wondered whether the Vaseline itself
might do any harm.

I would be grateful if anyone who has advice on this matter could
get back to me and let me know their thoughts,

Anna Stone
Group Archivist CGNU



                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:33
                 Distributed: Monday, December 18, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-14-33-025
                                  ***