Storage of paintings

Melanie Martin <melanie [at] edunet__tc__columbia__edu> writes

>Our library has inherited a number of very large damaged oil
>paintings in heavy gilt frames ...... I have been
>asked to wrap them to protect them from further damage. What is the
>recommended material for this?...

When we wrap our paintings for storage, we start by sandwiching it
between corrugated board (acid-free if possible, regular if not).
The boards are cut to the largest dimensions, so it covers any
protruding pieces of the frame. Then we wrap that assembly in bubble
pack (big bubbles, because it provides better padding).  If the
frame corners are fragile or has pieces that protrude, we try to
give it extra protection by padding those areas with either ethafoam
or folded bubble wrap (small bubbles, because they fold easier).  If
it's just the frame, you could fold a strip of bubble pack and wrap
that around the frame corners.  And finally, we wrap a big sheet of
plastic over the bubble pack, and tape all the seams down--this
seals it and provides a moisture barrier (pipes in storage areas can
leak).

We can usually get big sheets of corrugated cardboard, bubble pack,
and plastic sheets from moving companies.

Joice Himawan
Dyer Memorial Library


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:36
                Distributed: Wednesday, January 3, 2001
                       Message Id: cdl-14-36-007
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