A New Housing Concept for the Karl Friedrich Schinkel Collection: Chemical and Mechanical Aspects
-
Fabienne Meyer
Fabienne Meyer obtained her diploma in paper conservation at the State Academy of Art and Design in Stuttgart in 2005. After working as a paper conservator at the Saarlandmuseum Saarbrücken and at the Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) in Abu Dhabi, she became manager of the conservation project “Schinkel’s Legacy” at the Kupferstichkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Since 2012, Fabienne Meyer is deputy head of the conservation department at the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin and responsible for the collection of modern and contemporary art on paper. In 2015 she completed her PhD thesis on VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in collections of drawings and prints.
and
Gerhard Volland
Gerhard Volland , born in 1947, studied chemistry in Berlin and Stuttgart, Ph.D. in analytical chemistry at the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, Laboratory of Reinststoffanalytik. Since 1980 he was member of the research staff at the Otto-Graf-Institute (OGI), University of Stuttgart and until 2015 deputy scientific director of the Material Testing Institute (MPA/OGI) University Stuttgart. Main research on emissions from building materials, consumer products and contaminated sites as well as the influence of these emissions on ground water, soil and indoor air, with a particular focus on the group of semi-volatile organic compounds, biocides, plasticizers and flame retardants.
Abstract
This paper describes the measures taken to rehouse the collection of drawings and prints by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin. Previously, the collection had been exposed to high concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Housing the artworks in piles inside portfolios had caused mechanical damage. The VOC concentration in the object’s environment was reduced by replacing the main emission sources with low-emissive materials, by increasing the air exchange rate of the cabinets, and by sealing emission sources that could not be removed from the cabinets. It was decided to dispense with the application of any chemisorbents since they proved to be ineffective for the given storage situation. To avoid further mechanical damage, the objects were inserted into folders made either from cardboard or, depending on the characteristics and sensitivity of the object, from a combination of cardboard and polyester film. Groups of artworks were stored in new, lightweight enclosures that combine the advantages of the Solander box, the corrugated cardboard box, and the four-flap portfolio. Crosswise bonding of the corrugated boards provides sufficient stability. The joints that are particularly subjected to stress were reinforced with fabric. These new enclosures protect the objects from slipping and lateral impact. The historic portfolios were preserved as documentary material and are now stored in a separate place.
Zusammenfassung
Umlagerung der Karl Friedrich Schinkel-Sammlung: Chemische und mechanische Aspekte
Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt die Umlagerung der Sammlung von Zeichnungen und Drucken von Karl Friedrich Schinkel des Kupferstichkabinetts in Berlin. In der Vergangenheit waren die Objekte hohen Konzentrationen flüchtiger organischer Verbindungen (VOCs) ausgesetzt. Die Lagerung der Objekte in Stapeln in Mappen hatte zudem mechanische Schäden verursacht. Die VOC Konzentration in der unmittelbaren Umgebung der Objekte wurde reduziert, indem die Hauptemissionsquellen durch Materialien ersetzt wurden, die kaum VOCs abgeben; darüber hinaus wurde die Luftwechselrate in den Aufbewahrungsschränken erhöht und Emissionsquellen, die nicht aus den Schränken entfernt werden konnten, wurden versiegelt. Es wurde entschieden, keine chemischen Adsorber einzusetzen, da sie sich in der gegebenen Lagerungssituation als ineffektiv erwiesen hatten. Die Objekte wurden in Faltmappen gelegt, die je nach den Eigenschaften und Bedürfnissen des Objekts, aus Karton oder aus einer Kombination aus Karton und Polyester gefertigt wurden. Gruppen von Grafiken wurden in leichten Behältnissen gelagert, die die Vorteile von Solander-Boxen, Boxen aus Wellkarton und Flügelmappen kombinieren. Eine kreuzweise Verklebung der Wellkartons sorgt dabei für ausreichend Stabilität. Die Gelenke, die besonderen mechanischen Belastungen ausgesetzt sind, werden durch Gewebe verstärkt. Die Grafiken werden durch starre Klappen vor Verrutschen und Stößen geschützt. Die ausgetauschten historischen Aufbewahrungsmappen wurden als Dokumentationsmaterial aufbewahrt und werden jetzt an einem anderen Ort gelagert.
Resumé
Réduction de la concentration en COV (Composés Organiques Volatils) et Reconditionnement de la Collection Karl Friedrich Schinkel au Kupferstichkabinett Berlin
Cet article décrit les mesures prises dans le cadre du reconditionnement de la collection de dessins et estampes de Karl Friedrich Schinkel au Kupferstichkabinett de Berlin (Musée des Arts Graphiques). Ces œuvres avaient été exposées auparavant à des concentrations élevées de composés organiques volatils (COV). L’ancien conditionnement des œuvres d’art, empilées dans des portfolios, avaient causé des dommages mécaniques. La concentration en COV dans l’environnement des objets avait été réduite en remplaçant les principales sources d’émissions par des matériaux émettant peu de COV, en augmentant le taux d’échange d’air des armoires, et en scellant les sources d’émission de COV qui ne pouvaient pas être retirés des armoires. Il a été décidé de renoncer à l’utilisation d’agents de sorption chimiques car ils se sont avérés inefficaces pour la situation de stockage décrite dans cet article. Les œuvres d’art ont été insérées dans des chemises réalisées soit à partir de carton ou, en fonction des caractéristiques et de la sensibilité de l’objet, à partir d’une combinaison de carton et de film de polyester. Des groupes d’œuvres d’art ont été stockés dans des contenants légers qui combinent les avantages de la boîte Solander, de la boîte en carton ondulé, et du portfolio à quatre rabats. Le lien transversal des cartons ondulés assure une stabilité suffisante. Les charnières, particulièrement soumis aux tensions, ont été renforcés avec du tissu. Les œuvres d’art sont protégées des glissements et des chocs latéraux grâce aux rabats rigides. Les portefeuilles historiques ont été conservés comme matériel documentaire et sont maintenant stockés dans un endroit séparé.
About the authors
Fabienne Meyer obtained her diploma in paper conservation at the State Academy of Art and Design in Stuttgart in 2005. After working as a paper conservator at the Saarlandmuseum Saarbrücken and at the Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) in Abu Dhabi, she became manager of the conservation project “Schinkel’s Legacy” at the Kupferstichkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Since 2012, Fabienne Meyer is deputy head of the conservation department at the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin and responsible for the collection of modern and contemporary art on paper. In 2015 she completed her PhD thesis on VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in collections of drawings and prints.
Gerhard Volland, born in 1947, studied chemistry in Berlin and Stuttgart, Ph.D. in analytical chemistry at the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, Laboratory of Reinststoffanalytik. Since 1980 he was member of the research staff at the Otto-Graf-Institute (OGI), University of Stuttgart and until 2015 deputy scientific director of the Material Testing Institute (MPA/OGI) University Stuttgart. Main research on emissions from building materials, consumer products and contaminated sites as well as the influence of these emissions on ground water, soil and indoor air, with a particular focus on the group of semi-volatile organic compounds, biocides, plasticizers and flame retardants.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Irene Brückle and Antje Potthast for supervising my dissertation that investigated several aspects of the Schinkel Project. We thank Hein Th. Schulze Altcappenberg and Georg Josef Dietz for their engagement in support of the project. We thank Gerhard Banik, Michael Kühner, Günther Wegele†, Douglas Nishimura, Cornelia Weik, Inge Wolf, Valerian J. Wolenik and all colleagues from the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin for numerous discussions and their advice regarding the storage of drawings and prints. We thank the company USE and Axel Milde and his colleagues for the renovation of the storage cabinets, Klug Conservation for manufacture of the new housing system, and Anke Mila Menck, Emanuel Geisser and Michel Hansow for their invaluable support during implementation of the new storage system. The project was generously supported by the Ministry of Education’s Department of Higher Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung – BMBF).
References
Ahn, K., Henniges, U., Banik, G., Potthast, A.: Is cellulose degradation due to β-elimination processes a threat in mass deacidification of library books? Cellulose 19 (2012): 1149–1159.10.1007/s10570-012-9723-3Search in Google Scholar
Becker, M., Meyer, F., Jeong, J. M., Ahn, K., Henniges, U., Potthast, A.: The museum in a test tube – adding a third dimension to the evaluation of the impact of volatile organic acids on paper. Polymer Degradation and Stability 130 (2016): 109–117.10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2016.05.026Search in Google Scholar
Dahlin, E.: Improved protection of paintings during exhibition, storage and transit. In: Projekt PROPAINT, Final Report, 2010.Search in Google Scholar
Damm, R.: Übertragung von Alkalinität durch Kontakt mit Calciumcarbonat gefüllten Hüllpapieren. In: Schriftenreihe in Zusammenarbeit mit der Staatlichen Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart, Studiengang Restaurierung und Konservierung von Graphik, Archiv- und Bibliotheksgut und Preservation Academy GmbH; Band 1; BWV-Berliner Wissenschaftsverlag, Berlin, Banik, G.; Brückle, I.; Wächter, W. (eds.), 2005.Search in Google Scholar
Dupont, A.-L., Tétreault, J.: Cellulose degradation in an acetic acid environment. Studies in Conservation 45 (2000): 201–210.10.1179/sic.2000.45.3.201Search in Google Scholar
Eastaugh, N., Walsh, V., Chaplin, T., Siddall, R.: Pigment compendium. Oxford: Routledge, 2008.10.4324/9780080943596Search in Google Scholar
Havermans, J. B. G. A.: Paper deterioration: the role of air pollutants. In: Impact of the indoor environment on the preservation of our movable heritage, COST Action D42, final conference, Dublin, 2010.Search in Google Scholar
Held, L., Burge, D., Nishimura, D.: The effects of acidic, alkaline, buffered and non-buffered enclosures on cyanotypes and blue prints. Topics in Photographic Preservation 14 (2011): 237–249.Search in Google Scholar
Hofenk de Graaff, J. H., Roelofs, W. G. Th., van Keulen, H.: The effect of alkaline boxes and file folders on the accelerated ageing of paper by air pollution. Janus 2 (1996): 102–109.Search in Google Scholar
Jürgens, M.: Tintenstrahl im Museum – über den Umgang mit einer neuen Gattung. Oral presentation at the symposium: Step into Liquid, Fine Art Ink-Jet Printmaking. Düsseldorf, 2013.Search in Google Scholar
Kolar, J.: Mechanism of autooxidative degradation of cellulose. Restaurator 18 (1997): 163–176.10.1515/rest.1997.18.4.163Search in Google Scholar
Kralj Cigić, I., Strlič, M., de Bruin, G., Kolar, J., Steemers, T.: VOCs in paper-based heritage collections – source of information or risk? In: COST Project: Impact of the Indoor Environment on the Preservation of our Movable Heritage, Final conference, Dublin, 2010.Search in Google Scholar
Menart, E., de Bruin, G., Strlič, M.: Effects on NO2 and acetic acid on the stability of historic paper. Cellulose 21 (2014): 3701–3713.10.1007/s10570-014-0374-4Search in Google Scholar
Meyer, F.: Flüchtige organische Verbindungen in Graphischen Sammlungen – Eine Bewertung unter Bezugnahme auf die Sammlung Karl Friedrich Schinkel am Kupferstichkabinett Berlin. PhD thesis. http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/artdok/3591/1/Dissertation_Fabienne_Meyer.pdf, 2015Search in Google Scholar
Meyer, F., Hansen, D., Knjasev, V., Volland, G.: The “Schinkel’s legacy” project at the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin. Air quality in storage cabinets – cause and effect. Restaurator 32 (2014): 81–112.10.1515/rest-2014-1002Search in Google Scholar
Michalski, S.: Leakage prediction for buildings, cases, bags and bottles. Studies in Conservation 39 (1994): 169–186.10.1179/sic.1994.39.3.169Search in Google Scholar
Nguyen, T. P.: Optimisation of the qualitiy control of cellulosic materials used for the conservation and storage of paper-based culatural heritage based on the emissions of volatiles. In: Contributions to the ICOM-CC Conference, Lisbone, Le Bourg, E. (eds.), 2011: 1–9.Search in Google Scholar
Pedersoli, J. L. Jr, Ligterink, F. J., van Bommel, M.: Non-destructive determination of acetic acid and furfural in books by solid-phase micro–extraction (SPME) and gas chromaography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Restaurator 32 (2011): 30–51.10.1515/rest.2011.007Search in Google Scholar
Di Pietro, G., Ligterink, F.: The limited impact of acetic acid in libraries and archives. In: 10th Indoor Air Quality Meeting, Book of Abstracts, London, 2012.Search in Google Scholar
Pignatti, G.: Boxes for the housing and protection of books: Observations on their history and development. E-Preservation Science 23 (2012): 32–46.Search in Google Scholar
Shahani, C. J., Harrison, G.: Sponteaous formation of acids in the natural aging of paper. In: Contributions to the IIC Congress, Works of art on paper: books, documents and photographs: techniques and conservation; Baltimore, Daniels, V. Donithorne, A.; Smith, P. (eds.), 2002: 189–192.Search in Google Scholar
Schwerdtfeger, S., Simon, S.: Untersuchungsbericht 24_031510. Rathgen-Forschungslabor, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, 2010, unveröffentlicht.Search in Google Scholar
Strlič, M., Kralj Cigić, I., Možir, A., Thickett, D., de Bruin, G., Kolar, J., Cassar, M.: Test for compatibility with organic heritage materials – a proposed procedure. E-Preservation Science 7 (2010): 78–86.Search in Google Scholar
Tétreault, J., Dupont, A.-L., Bégin, P., Paris, S.: The impact of volatile compounds released by paper on cellulose degradation in ambient hygrothermal conditions. Polymer Degradation and Stability 98 (2013): 1827–1837.10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2013.05.017Search in Google Scholar
Tétreault, J.: Airborne pollutants in museums, galleries, and archives: risk assessment, control strategies, and preservation management. Ottawa: CCI Publications, 2003.Search in Google Scholar
Velensek, N.: Untersuchung von Schadstoffausgasungen aus Materialien am Kupferstichkabinett Berlin. Unveröffentlichte Semesterarbeit, Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart, Studiengang: Konservierung und Restaurierung von Graphik, Bibliotheks- und Archivgut, Stuttgart, 2010.Search in Google Scholar
Volland, G.: Forschungsbericht 902 1158 000. Materialprüfungsanstalt, Universität Stuttgart, Otto-Graf-Institut, 2012.Search in Google Scholar
Materials and suppliers
Shelving units: Steel plate, powder-coated RAL 7035, USE Berlin
Metallized polyester film: Paul Hildebrandt, Art. No. 212
Polyester film: Melinex® OD, 125µm, Pütz, Taunusstein
Solander boxes with wood core: Horst Zeman, Spandau
Solander boxes with corrugated cardboard core: Klug Conservation, Immenstadt
Archival cardboard: Klug Conservation, Immenstadt, Art. No. 048x
Clamshell boxes: Klug Conservation, Immenstadt KS 17 and KS 17 reinforced
Manufacture of the new portfolios: Klug Conservation, Immenstadt
Sewing of the folders: Artur Lederer, Falkensee
Impregnated fabric: Schmedt Hamburg, Art. 2263–044
© 2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- A New Housing Concept for the Karl Friedrich Schinkel Collection: Chemical and Mechanical Aspects
- The Soaking Resistance of Electronic Storage Media
- An Unexpensive Self-Produced Trap for Entomological Monitoring in Libraries and Archives
- Cut and Tape: Marguerite Yourcenar’s Emendations to a Typescript of L’Œuvre au noir
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- A New Housing Concept for the Karl Friedrich Schinkel Collection: Chemical and Mechanical Aspects
- The Soaking Resistance of Electronic Storage Media
- An Unexpensive Self-Produced Trap for Entomological Monitoring in Libraries and Archives
- Cut and Tape: Marguerite Yourcenar’s Emendations to a Typescript of L’Œuvre au noir
