Frederick Hollyer platinotype

We are in the process of preparing a treatment proposal for a
Frederick Hollyer platinotype which has its original (or at least a
very early) backing board and gilded window mount, both of which are
solid mounted to the work with an unknown adhesive.  The work is
visibly degrading with patchy discolouration through the image,
though at this stage the discolouration is not highly disfiguring.

We are in the process of weighing the potential benefits of removing
the window mount and backing board with the aim of washing the print
to reduce the staining and chemically stabilise the paper, compared
with the risks to a potentially weak and degraded paper and the
possibility that we won't be able to preserve the original mount
intact.

I am interested in hearing from anyone with experience with the
removal of backings, and subsequent washing of Frederick Hollyer
platinotypes, or nineteenth century platinotypes in general.  Do
they feel that there was significant benefit from these processes?
Was discolouration able to be reduced and were the prints able to be
successfully flattened?

Libby Melzer
Senior Paper Conservator
The Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation
Commercial Conservation Services
University of Melbourne


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 26:33
                 Distributed: Sunday, January 13, 2013
                       Message Id: cdl-26-33-022
                                  ***