Displaying posters

Christine Cheffins <christinecheffins [at] monmouthshire__gov__uk>
writes

>I am preparing some World War Two posters (758 x 506mm) for
>temporary display.  The curator would like them mounted in a perspex
>sandwich, no window mounts.  Has anyone had any experience of
>mounting posters like this?  What thickness of perspex is best and
>do the posters stay put and not slide down?

At the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, we display numerous World War
II posters in plexi (similar to perspex) "sandwiches" for temporary
display. However, please note that the poster is not actually in
contact with the plexi. The poster itself is attached to a matboard
support (either hinged or in a mylar sling) that is 1/16 inch larger
than the poster around all edges.  The matboard is attached to the
back plexi of the "sandwich" using double-sided, pressure sensitive
tape (3M brand #415). A 1/4 inch spacer, which has an acrylic,
pressure sensitive adhesive along one edge, is attached around the
edges of the back plexi.  The front plexi sits on top of the spacer
around the edges and is held in place using Permacel brand J-Lar
tape (acrylic adhesive, polypropylene backing).  We use 1/4 inch
thick plexi for posters up to about 40 x 60 inches.  For posters
larger than that, the plexi may bow and you should use a thicker
sheet. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Emily Jacobson
Paper and Photographic Materials Conservator
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW
Washington, DC  20024-2126
202-488-0477
Fax: 202-314-7822


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:54
                   Distributed: Friday, May 20, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-18-54-003
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