It ain't broke!

[Geo Kloppel <GeoK@aol.com>]

             "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" ...  but hold on
a second... I suppose that one of the aims of conservation is to
arrest processes of degradation. I would like to present the
following problem which confronts restorers and conservators
dealing with violin bows  (and various other instruments, I
imagine).
 
              For most of the last two centuries bows have
incorporated a "path" or lining of silver or other metal between
the movable frog and the shaft upon which it slides up and down.
Common practice was to fix this to the underside of the frog with
silver pins, but certain historically important makers used steel
screws. Because steel flakes and swells as it rusts, the
corroding screws eventually split the frog right down the middle.
Few owners of these bows appreciate the hazard before it's too
late, and unless one can show evidence of splitting already
underway, they typically prefer to run the risk of neglecting the
rusting screws, rather than compromise originality. Repairing the
frog _after_ it splits entails, alas, rather more serious
compromise.

           I'd be interested to hear from anyone who 1) has dealt
with this as a restoration issue. I imagine the problem occurs in
woodwinds, at least.   2) has specific remediations for this
steel-screw-distress, or experiences to share  3) has aught to
say from a conservation perspective about the pros and cons of
making alterations for the sole purpose of forestalling further
deterioration.


Regarding  >..."Recommendations for
>Conservation of  Musical Instruments", CIMCIM Publication No. 1,
>International Council of Museums, Paris, 1993. For those out
>there who don't already have it on their shelves, I am told by
>Cary Karp that an effort will be made to post it in some form
accessible to all, by email.

That would be a boon!  Let me add my voice to the clamor of
approval :-)    Is it by any chance already available by
anonymous ftp or gopher or such? 


earlier I wrote:

>>  It seems that the sense of what sorts of compromise to the >
originality of the object are acceptable may be  determined as >
much by considerations of practical utility peculiar to the >
instrument as by direct concern for its preservation. I don't >
suppose anyone is surprised by this, but I'm wondering if >
others on the list could provide examples from other groups > of
musical instruments, or wish to say more about this.  
        My long-range interest here is to compare "first
principles" of conservation distilled from actual practice or
experience with their canonical counterparts, because incongruity
or tension at such junctures is _really_ interesting, and can
provide insight about the cutting edge of any discipline. And of
course I think that a friendly, informal forum like this is ideal
for atmospherics  ;-)

Geo Kloppel         <geok@aol.com>