Stabilizing Special Collections for High-Density Storage

Introduction & Planning | Globes | Objects | Rolled Drawings | Drawings and Prints
Bound Volumes | Archives and Manuscript Collections

Drawings and Prints

CHALLENGES

• Varied materials with different housing needs required careful identification of materials
• Wide range of large format sizes
• Some items had friable (or crumbling) media
• Many items had three-dimensional elements

SOLUTIONS

• Staff were carefully trained in media identification and handling
• Works were housed in specially designed mats in standard sizes made from suitable materials (unbuffered mat board for diazotypes, textile swatches, etc.)
• Translucent paper was used instead of polyester for items with friable media (i.e. charcoal, flaking paint) to reduce static charge
• Sink mats were used to protect works with three-dimensional elements
• Minor stabilization treatments were employed to remove tape, humidify, flatten and surface clean the items before matting
• Portfolio-style mounts and double- sided mats were used to preserve original presentations where appropriate
• Matted materials are now stored collectively in standard oversized flat storage boxes

(Click on image below to see larger image)

Left: Example of artwork in an original mat. Center: Artwork housed in a custom mat with a translucent paper overlay. Right: Preservation Technician Jamie Schmeits humidifies a drawing.
Left: Matted materials stored in standard oversized flat storage boxes. Right: A custom portfolio-style mount that retains the original presentation style of the archival materials.