Retreatment of a Print Damaged by Excessive Sodium Borohydride Bleaching
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Emily M. K. Müller
Emily M. K. Müller currently is an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. She obtained an M. A. in paper conservation in 2018 at the Stuttgart Academy of Art and Design at the Programme Conservation of Works of Art on Paper, Archives and Library Materials. In 2015, she gained her B. A. at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim.Ute Henniges is academic associate at the Study Programme Conservation of Works of Art on Paper, Archives and Library Materials at the Stuttgart Academy of Art and Design Stuttgart. She obtained a diploma in paper conservation in 2003 at that institution and gained a doctorate in 2008 at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, where she belonged to the scientific staff until February 2018. Her main areas of interest to date have been bleaching, iron gall ink corrosion, mass deacidification as well as analysis of paper, cellulose and polysaccharides in general.Irene Brückle is professor and director of the Study Programme Conservation of Works of Art on Paper, Archives and Library Materials at the Stuttgart Academy of Art and Design since 2008. From 1990 to 2004, she taught at the Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State College and became professor there in 1992. She holds an M. A. in art history from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a doctorate in art technology/art history from the Stuttgart academy. From 2005 to 2008, she was head of conservation at the Kupferstichkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. She received the Caroline Keck award for excellence in teaching in 2006 from the American Institute for Conservation.
Abstract
An etching that was visibly damaged as a result of previous bleaching with a 5.6 % aqueous sodium borohydride solution underwent retreatment involving washing to stabilize the embrittled paper and to remove potentially present bleaching residues. During a final immersion in a dilute calcium hydrogen carbonate solution administered for deacidification, an unexpected and severe blistering occurred that is explained as a recurrence of previous bleaching-related blistering. The blisters were laid down. The treatment concluded with a consolidation of the bleach-damaged paper surface using a 0.5 % gelatine solution applied by misting.
Zusammenfassung
In der Fallstudie wird die Behandlung einer Kaltnadelradierung beschrieben, die ein Jahr zuvor von einem Amateur mit wässriger 5,6 % Natriumborhydridlösung gebleicht worden war. Dies verursachte massive Verfärbungen, Brüchigkeit des Papiers und erhöhte Rauheit seiner Oberfläche. Um das Papier zu stabilisieren und farbige Abbauprodukte zu entfernen, wurden nach eingehender Prüfung mehrere Wässerungen durchgeführt. Während einer die Behandlung abschließenden Immersion in eine Calciumydrogencarbonatlösung zur Einbringung einer alkalischen Reserve entstanden zahlreiche lokale Delaminierungen der Papieroberfläche in Form kleiner Blasen (engl.: blistering). Sie werden zurückgeführt auf die vorherige NaBH4 Behandlung und können als rezidive Blasenbildung gelten. Die Blasen wurden in noch feuchtem Zustand niedergelegt. Nach kontrollierter Trocknung bei nur leichter Beschwerung im Stapel wurde die Papieroberfläche durch Vernebeln einer 0.5 % Gelatinelösung (280 Bloom) gefestigt und damit auch ihre Rauheit vermindert.
Resumé
Le second traitement d’une gravure dégradée par un blanchiment excessif au borohydrure de sodium.
Une eau-forte visiblement dégradée suite à un blanchiment avec une solution aqueuse à 5,6% de borohydrure de sodium a été traitée en la lavant pour stabiliser le papier. Durant l’immersion finale de désacidification dans une solution diluée de carbonate de calcium, de fortes cloques se sont formées de manière imprévue et ceci s’explique par la récurrence des cloques du blanchiment précédent. Les cloques ont été aplanies. Le traitement s’est achevé par une consolidation avec une solution vaporisée de gélatine à 0,5%.
About the authors
Emily M. K. Müller currently is an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. She obtained an M. A. in paper conservation in 2018 at the Stuttgart Academy of Art and Design at the Programme Conservation of Works of Art on Paper, Archives and Library Materials. In 2015, she gained her B. A. at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim.
Ute Henniges is academic associate at the Study Programme Conservation of Works of Art on Paper, Archives and Library Materials at the Stuttgart Academy of Art and Design Stuttgart. She obtained a diploma in paper conservation in 2003 at that institution and gained a doctorate in 2008 at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, where she belonged to the scientific staff until February 2018. Her main areas of interest to date have been bleaching, iron gall ink corrosion, mass deacidification as well as analysis of paper, cellulose and polysaccharides in general.
Irene Brückle is professor and director of the Study Programme Conservation of Works of Art on Paper, Archives and Library Materials at the Stuttgart Academy of Art and Design since 2008. From 1990 to 2004, she taught at the Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State College and became professor there in 1992. She holds an M. A. in art history from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a doctorate in art technology/art history from the Stuttgart academy. From 2005 to 2008, she was head of conservation at the Kupferstichkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. She received the Caroline Keck award for excellence in teaching in 2006 from the American Institute for Conservation.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Mario Röhrle for assistance during photographic documentation and Franziska Jacobi for providing an image of our study of bleaching agents.
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Materials and suppliers
Bondina (30 g/m2), 100 % polyester fabric, GMW Gabi Kleindorfer, Germany, Art-No: 37,330
calcium hydroxide, Honeywell Fluka™, Germany, Art-No: 2181
Methocel A4M, Dow Deutschland Anlagengesellschaft MBH, Germany, Art-No: OG28012N01
Paraprint® OL 60, non-woven viscose fabric, GMW Gabi Kleindorfer, Art-No: 37,060
photographic gelatine, powder, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Art-No: 1.04078.1000
pH test strips, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, pH 0–14, Art-No: 1.09535.0001
© 2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
