This Jose Sirvin "Christ figure" lithograph was glued to acidic mat board and had water staining, mat burn and severe distortions.  The mat board was reduced to a single paper layer before the paper was surface cleaned.  Bathing in distilled water solutions reduced the staining.  Slow drying under pressure was effective in eliminating the distortions.

A Milton Avery drawing is on

the other side of this brown paper.  It had been attached to black paper with rubber cement adhesive.  The adhesive and backing paper stained the drawing and made it very brittle.  After removing the black paper, the rubber cement residue was reduced first mechanically and then further using solvents.  The brittle drawing was then lined with a very thin Japanese paper and wheat starch paste to hold the paper fragments together. 

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De Chirico's "two horses" was mounted to cardboard and a window mat was glued to the margins of the print.  After paring down the cardboard backing and window mat, adhesive residue was reduced mechanically and the paper was bathed in distilled water solutions.  Staining in the margins was reduced locally with mild bleaching and repeated distilled water baths.

This hand colored Chagal print had been framed with acidic materials which stained the paper.  Surface cleaning and bathing was not enough to reduce the discoloration.  The lithograph was bleached with color safe chemicals.  Although bleaching is not a conservation but restoration treatment, it is sometimes necessary to appreciate an artwork which has been  damaged.

This hand lettered and painted document is on extremely thin and brittle paper.  The inks were water soluble which made bathing out of the question.  After extensive mending of tears and reinforcing of creases with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste, toned paper inserts were applied to margin losses.

This etching had been attached

to mat board with masking tape which stained the paper.  Sometimes tape can be removed along with the yellow discoloration.  Other times the adhesive cross links with the paper fibers and solvents are useless in removing the stain.

Newsprint is especially fragile paper because it is made from wood pulp which becomes yellow and brittle with time.  Bathing can help reduce discoloration and de-acidification can slow down embrittlement.  This paper received both and was lined to unify the many paper fragments.

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