Mat board

In the UK, the organisation representing many picture framers--Fine
Art Trade Guild--has, after some years of work been able to present
a set of standards for matting or mount board that makes clear the
difference between museum (100% cotton) and conservation (purified
wood-pulp) boards.

It should be noted that in the UK conservators generally use museum
board, whilst framers who are more likely to be satisfying the
aesthetic demands of "the public", whilst wishing to provide some
protection for artwork, will use conservation board, often with a
coloured facing paper. Thus the light fastness of the facing paper
has become an issue.

An immediate and sound reaction is that if the facing paper fades,
then the artwork is shown in an unsuitably bright position.

That being said, can anyone on the list point me in the direction of
any research on the chemical or other changes occurring during the
fading of facing papers, that might be detrimental to the artefact
framed with such material.

Stephen Todd
Organiser of the First Symposium on Mountboard Standards in the UK


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:78
                   Distributed: Monday, May 20, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-15-78-007
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