Blue paper

I am currently working on my masters degree in paper conservation at
Camberwell College of Arts in London and about to begin my final
project which will involve the treatment of three chalk/pastel
drawings on coloured "sugar" paper dating from the early to
mid-nineteenth century. The primary treatment will involve removing
the drawings from acidic backings to which they are adhered with a
proteinaceous adhesive. The papers range from grayish-blue to pale
brown in colour and vary in degree of quality and have all suffered
from light degradation. I am concerned that the dyes/pigments used
to colour the paper may be fugitive (I recently treated a similar
object and had problems with tidelines forming due to migration of
the degradation products and pigments in the paper). I would very
much appreciate any suggestions or feedback from anyone who has
treated similar objects.

I will also be conducting an in-depth study of the history,
manufacture and use of coloured papers available to artists in the
19th century and will also be researching their degradation through
artificial aging. Again, if anyone has any information on these
papers or might be able to suggest any available literature, I would
be grateful to hear of it.

Carolyn Frisa
511A Finchley Rd
London NW3 7BB
+44 207 813 2896


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:59
                  Distributed: Thursday, May 25, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-13-59-014
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