Print Conservation: Examples

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 aquous light bleached using an artificial light bank.

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

Discoloration, tide lines, and water staining were greatly reduced 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 large folio sheet was trimmed, as were many of the large folio audubon prints, and then 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 light bleached using natural sunlight and resized. Watercolor was used to compensate for color loss.

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

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

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

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