Conservation
Lately, I've taken to using the term preservation instead of conservation more often when talking about picture framing. Conservation & preservation are mostly interchangeable but I feel I'm preserving the art work more so then conserving it.
Picture framing, paper, & conservation/preservation of art work have been with us for quite a while. A wooden frame was found on a mummy portrait in an Egyptian tomb from the 2nd century A.D. For a brief article on framing construction & history, see this Wikipedia - Picture Frame page. The first conservation efforts are said to be the restoration of the Sistine Chapel frescoes in 1565. For more on conservation history visit these Wikipedia pages; Conservation-restoration and this List of important dates. And of course, paper has been with us since early China & Egypt. Much has changed with these disciplines through history as science & technology have blended with manufacture to become what they are today.
The first papers where made with hemp, papyrus, & other plant matter. Not the strongest of materials. Then came vellum, parchment, cotton rag, & linen paper-making which made for stronger and longer lasting papers. In fact, some of the best paper still made today is 100% cotton rag paper. Water powered paper mills helped produce these papers faster & cheaper for an ever growing need, yet it was still not enough to meet demands & somewhat costly. By the late 1800's, wood pulp paper mills popped up all over and by the 20th century most paper was made with wood pulp. This was a great boon for printing, publishing, newspapers, books, and the spread of information. Not so great for artists & art conservators! The lignocellulosic fibrous material used in wood pulp paper manufacturing is high in acids and lignins, which, themselves, give off acids when breaking down. Though many pulping processes remove much of the lignin on the way to becoming paper, there is still a lot of acids & lignin remaining. This causes to paper to breakdown in a short amount of time, to become yellow, even brown, as it out-gases sulfuric acid on its way to becoming brittle. Doesn't make for long lasting books, or a long lasting pieces of art, & certainly a heartbreak/headache for a conservator or picture framer trying to preserve something done on poorer quality paper. All one can do is perhaps slow down the process, help absorb some of the acids & gases, or try to reverse some of the damages done.
My husband, who worked as a picture framer in Honolulu, Hi & Aspen, Co throughout the 70's, says that all the mat boards, used by all the frame shops back then, were made with wood pulp. It was rare that he used cotton rag museum board unless it was a job for... well... a museum. That's a lot of artwork he hopes got re-framed at some point. To the right here, is a close-up photo of a small European etching that he framed & kept from the early 70's. I show it to customers as a perfect example of how NOT to frame a work of art, and why it's so important to use conservation materials when framing. The wood pulp matting was once a tan color with a white bevel, and the print was a sepia tone ink on an off white paper. Now I know it's been quite a while, but just look at that... this print is pretty much ruined. It's taken on a brown tinge overall, is covered with fox marks, and is burnt at the bevels edge. The mat has turned yellow with brown spotting toward the outside, probably due to the frame itself, & the bevel is yellow to brown due to acidic out-gassing. The cardboard backing & brown paper tape with horse glue probably didn't help much either. Bad materials throughout. Add to this the fact that this hung in Hawaii for a long time and you can factor in some of the other enemies of art work & art conservators... those being light, humidity & humidity change, temperature & temperature change, bugs (yes, there are some nibblings on the back), & the backing tape is cracked, so airborne contamination could come into play. I can't stress enough the importance of using preservation materials when framing art work or keepsakes that you plan on keeping for any length of time or re-framing favorite works to prevent further degradation. It is also important for the artist to use good archival materials to work with for sake of longevity. I work with a paper conservator that can often clean, stop, or reverse damages done, but this can be a time consuming & expense process. Conservation, preservation, and restoration has come a long ways since the early days, with so much research, major scientific & technical advancements, and new fields of endeavor opening up along the way. But, in the long run, prevention is the key to preservation. This is why so many museums these days have their own framing departments and conservation laboratories to handle their significant or historical documents and works of art. Here are a few preservation picture framing guidelines. Many are do not's, but all should be considered.
Good judgement and common sense should be used when handling a customers artworks.
Conservation/Preservation materials & techniques should be used in every aspect of framing.
Use the highest quality materials available for a framing job within a customers price guidelines.
Warn the customer of the ill effects of lower quality materials when there are price constraints.
Do not do, what you cannot undo.
All techniques used should be completely reversible & not leave any impressions or residue on the artwork.
Do not use chemicals unless you know what your doing.
Use the help of a professional paper conservator when needed.
Keep your workspace & hands clean, wear gloves when called for.
Do not cut, trim, or fold the original artwork.
Support/mount the artwork to allow for expansion & contraction from temperature & humidity.
Do not let the artwork touch the glazing/glass, use spacers when called for.
Use Ultra-violet glazing/glass when possible.
Seal the artwork from contamination, i.e. wood frames, bugs, airborne particles, rapid humidity change.
Fit the framed package without undo pressure.
