Glass colored prints

Rachel Swift <rachswift [at] hotmail__com> writes

>...  The subject of my independent research project is the
>conservation of English reverse-glass prints. ...
>... I am referring to flat glass which has had a
>print adhered to one side, the paper removed leaving the ink and a
>thin layer of paper, and the image coloured with paint. ...
>appreciated.

These are often tricky problems.  Reverse paintings on glass were
made in many different countries in the world--all over Europe and
in China, although the ones that started as prints are probably more
confined in origin.  There are standard techniques for making them,
but probably a lot of variation in materials nevertheless.  I
usually use polyvinyl acetate resin, *not emulsion!* ,a dilute
solution of, usually, AYAA, in ethanol (B-72 in alcohol probably is
fine too). Depending on the flakiness, either brushed or dropped
from a syringe. You have to be careful not to touch loose flakes
with your tool, or you can lift them off.  The ethanol helps get the
resin all the way under the flakes.  This is important, because any
air pockets between the paint and the glass leave what look like
voids.  You have t make sure in advance that the solvent you are
using softens the paint just enough to make it lay flat--if it
softens too much, the flakes can swell, but if too little, they
won't go flat.

Barbara Appelbaum
Appelbaum and Himmelstein
444 Central Park West
New York, NY  10025
212-666-4630
Fax: 212-316-1039

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 19:6
                   Distributed: Sunday, July 17, 2005
                        Message Id: cdl-19-6-003
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