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Please select the area
that concerns you from the links below:
Foxing and Discolouration
Most owners of
old watercolours, drawings, prints and maps
are familiar with the the disfiguring spots
called foxing and the overall brown
discolouration of aging. Exposure to damp
encourages the growth of mould which over
time becomes the brown spots known as
foxing. Metallic impurities introduced into
paper during the making process can also
cause foxing. Over-exposure to daylight can
have an adverse effect on the condition of
the paper: it will become discoloured and
take on a brownish appearance. This will
lead to embrittlement which if not reversed
will eventually turn the paper to dust.
These distressing symptoms can often prevent
the owner from enjoying the work of art and
from displaying it. A
free consultation with
our paper conservator can
help identify these problems. Paper
conservation treatments can then help reduce
these stains safely, and restore the picture
to a condition worthy of display. A further
benefit is that it will then return it to
its true market value.
Foxing and
discolouration removal from a 19th Century
etching bought recently in a Parisian flea
market.
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page
Poor Framing Practice
The main damage
suffered by pictures is caused by the use of
cheap and inappropriate materials in the
construction of the frames. Inferior quality
wood pulp mounts “leak” onto the work of art
and cause mat burn, a very disfiguring brown
stain around the edge of the image. Backing
boards made from old pine and contemporary
hardboard have a damaging effect on the work
of art as it is effectively trapped in an
unfavourable environment. Wood burn, as it
is known, causes the paper to become acidic
and the resulting brown discolouration works
its way to the front of the paper and makes
it difficult to read the image. If a framer
has used poor standard adhesive tapes, they
will discolour to a dark brown and leave a
sticky residue on the paper. Our skilled
paper conservator can reduce or remove these
stains and residues, restoring the aesthetic
quality of the image. Paper conservation
treatments stabilise the paper thus
prolonging its life and thereby increasing
the market value of the work of art.
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Inferior quality
wood pulp mounts "leak" onto the work of art
and cause mat burn.
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Hardboard and pine backing
boards cause wood burn
which results in severe
discolouration of the paper.
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Masking tape and hardboard
caused the discolouration to
these engravings from Vitruvious
Britanicus 1764 |
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page
Accidental and Environmental Damage
As paper is such
a fragile material it can easily suffer
accidental damage such as tears and creases
which disfigure and reduce the value of a
work of art on paper. Using Japanese papers
and wheat starch paste, a skilled paper
conservator can repair tears and infill
missing areas. Environmental factors such as
flood, fire and pollution cause obvious
types of damage. The resulting water
staining, blackening and surface dirt can
drastically alter the appearance of
pictures. By choosing the appropriate
treatments such as washing, mechanical
cleaning and chemical treatments, a trained
paper conservator can reverse these damages
and restore the work of art to its former
visual state.
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