Print Conservation: Examples

Currier & Ives – “Mr. August Belmont's Potomac & Masher” – lithograph, 1891

To reduce overall discoloration and matburn, this large folio C&I was deacidified and then bleached, using both chemical bleaching and aqueous light bleaching.

John DeMartelly - “While the Sun Shines” - lithograph, 1943

Due to severe toning and strong mat burn, this print was deacidified, chemically bleached, resized, and given an alkaline reserve.

Shiro Kasamatsu - "Mt. Fuji at Sunset, View from Shizuura" – woodblock, 1937

To remove overall discoloration and mat burn, this print was deacidified and bleached using an artificial light bank.

Currier & Ives – “The Burning of Chicago” – lithograph, 1871

The problems of discoloration, tide lines, and water staining were corrected by deacidification and chemical bleaching. The print was resized and then retouched with watercolor where needed.

J. J. Audubon - “Blue-green Warbler” (Plate 49) - Havell edition 1832

This print was trimmed and framed with a very acidic cardboard backing, causing overall discoloration. Many of the colors were faded or lost. The print was washed to remove acidity, then aqueous sun bleached and resized. Watercolor was used to compensate for color loss.

Hiroshi Yoshida - Morning on Tsurugisan - 1926 (later edition)

This print had considerable and disfiguring overall foxing. It was deacidified and then bleached using an artifical light bank.

Currier & Ives – “American Homestead Summer” – lithograph, 1868

To reduce light discoloration, this print was deacidified and aqueous sun bleached. The losses were filled with inserts of matching paper and the tears mended with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste.