Newspapers

At the institution where I am working, old newspapers (1880-1940)
that are in very bad shape are prepared for digitization by
flattening by hot ironing and repairing with Filmoplast R.

Regardless of the convenience or inconvenience of this kind of
treatment for the mid-long term conservation, I have two questions:

Does anybody have experience using humidity chambers with old
newspapers?  I have one to raise the relative humidity up to 85% for
one day or two prior to unfolding or flattening a paper document or
photography but I haven't done that before with old newspapers;
however, I think that it can be convenient in this kind of situation
but I would like to hear the impressions of the people that have
done it in the past.

Does anybody know of any studies regarding potential health issues
in breathing smoke/steam with/from newspaper ink?  In this lab the
people who do the flattening with the hot iron breathe a subtle but
noticeable smoke from the hot paper.  I know that the ink is called
in some places "smoke black" since it was made with the soot of
factories chimneys, so I think it will be interesting to know
something about it.

Mauro J. Mazzini
Paper and photo conservator


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 28:38
                   Distributed: Monday, March 9, 2015
                       Message Id: cdl-28-38-023
                                  ***