Disney/Getty animation cel conservation project

The Walt Disney Animation Research Library (ARL) and the Getty
Conservation Institute (GCI) announced today the second phase of
their ongoing collaborative research into the conservation of Disney
animation cels.  Over the course of a four-year project, scientists
and conservators from the ARL and the GCI will investigate optimal
storage conditions for cels, as well as strategies for re-attaching
flaked and delaminated paints to the plastic surface.  The continued
research is made possible by a generous contribution from The Walt
Disney Company, as well as funds provided by the GCI.

The joint effort has been at the center of the GCI's Preservation of
Plastics

    <URL:http://www.getty.edu/conservation/our_projects/science/plastics/>

projects, one of the key components of its long-term Modern and
Contemporary Art Research Initiative

    <URL:http://www.getty.edu/conservation/our_projects/science/modcon>

  "The findings of this ongoing collaboration will create a path
   toward significantly extending the life of this hugely important
   collection of animation cels" says Tim Whalen, director of the
   Getty Conservation Institute.  "This project also offers the Walt
   Disney Animation Research Library a more complete understanding
   of their collection and simultaneously expands our knowledge of a
   complex material that is a challenge to conservators worldwide."

The ARL and GCI began their collaboration 2009, when the ARL
provided access to over 200,000 cels from the 1920s to 1989 in their
climate-controlled facility in Glendale, CA.  Researchers analyzed
and differentiated three types of plastic used to produce animation
cels:  cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, and Mylar (polyester).
They also assessed the condition of sample cels, and observed
yellowing, warping, cracking, shrinking, and delamination of paint,
and in some cases were able to correlate the extent of deterioration
with the specific composition of the cels.

To tackle these conservation concerns, scientists and conservators
will determine optimum storage conditions for cels, considered the
most important factor in the overall strategy for preserving the
collection.  While there is much research regarding the best storage
conditions for plastics, the conditions need to be tested on the
paints used on cels, and most importantly, on the combination of
plastics and paint.  This research will be aided by the ARL's
well-documented and standardized library of paint formulas that have
been used for several decades.  Cels will also be separated
according to plastic type in order to prevent additional damage.

Another component of the project will be to explore re-attachment of
paint to the cels.  Various procedures will continue to be evaluated
and best practices established for future conservation work.

   "Not only are we determining ways to preserve these cels for
    future generations, but the research has broad and relevant
    applications to all kinds of works of art made with plastic,"
    says Tom Learner, Head of Science at the Getty Conservation
    Institute.  "These very same plastics were used by sculptors and
    designers working in the same period, and this in-depth study
    will help the field develop improved conservation strategies for
    all these cultural objects."

The collaboration has been led by Michael Schilling, senior
scientist at the GCI, and Kristen McCormick, Art Collections and
Exhibitions Manager at the ARL.  Continued work will be performed
not only by outside professionals, but several in-house GCI staff.
The spirit of cooperation and lending of expertise can serve as
models for future partnerships in plastics conservation.

   "We hope that knowledge gained by this research will inspire
    other collaborations that lead to advances in storage conditions
    and conservation treatments," says McCormick.  "Who could fault
    us for dreaming of a world in which characters like Snow White,
    beautifully rendered in animation cels, live happily ever
    after?"

Information about the cel conservation project can be viewed

    <URL:http://www.getty.edu/conservation/our_projects/science/plastics/plastics_component1.html>

Information about the Walt Disney Animation Research Library can be
viewed at

    <URL:https://www.facebook.com/DisneyARL?_rdr>


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 28:47
                   Distributed: Sunday, May 10, 2015
                       Message Id: cdl-28-47-001
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