| DAMAGE
& PREVENTION
It would seem obvious
that the best way not to have damaged paper dolls is to prevent them
from becoming damaged in the first place. Yet the ways in which they
may become damaged are not always so obvious. These things can cause
damage to paper:
Mishandling
- Dings or dents
from improperly holding a book or sheet
- Bending or folding
in envelopes or boxes
- Folding, rolling
or crushing prints
- Corner dings
from dropping or mailing without enough protection
- Tearing from
enthusiastic play
- Ball point pen
ink bleeding through backs
Poor Storage
- Scraping surface
inks by sliding two pages/ books/ sheets together
- Pressure from
stacking/packing too tightly, causing inks to compact or press onto
another surface
- Putting in brown
paper or cardboard or with other acidic materials
- Putting in areas
of high humidity resulting in mold or mildew
- Exposing to
too much dryness
- Exposing to
too much heat or cold
- Putting in drawers
against raw wood
- Putting in places
infested with vermin: mice, chipmunks, moths and other insects
- Exposing to
dirt, dust, smoke, oils, sprays and other pollutants
- Holding together
with paper clips
Poor Display
- Placing in florescent
light or in direct--or even indirect--sunlight
- Placing in non-archival
plastics or acetate
- Using improper
adhesives such as cellophane tape or rubber cement which turn yellow-brown
- Putting PDs
in those photo albums with the sticky pages & PVC covers ...
eeek!
Tip -- If your
clear sleeves or coverings have a strong plastic smell to them, they
are not archival. Do not use them for any papers you really value.
Archival Materials
Throughout this article I am speaking of "Archival" and
"Acid Free" materials to use with your PDs. I have gotten
most of my storage and display materials from Light Impressions catalog
which is an education in itself, whether you buy anything or not.
But once you study one, you will find several things you will need
for your collection. Archival means that it has no acid or chemicals
which can damage your valuable paper goods. Acid from other materials
(paper, wood) and from the air itself (various pollutants) is what
kills paper and causes it to become brittle and break. They even carry
a spray to stop the acidification process. It's very expensive but
worth it to use on very old and fragile paper dolls. It's wise to
encapsulate fragile pieces after using the spray. You place the prints
or the cut-out pieces on archival paper or board, then seal them under
a sheet of clear mylar polyester film, stuck all around the edges
with ATG tape, which is double sticky adhesive applied by a special
roller. I have encapsulated many of my hand-painted antique fashion
plates this way. Light Impressions has some tape on a roll for hand
application. Order your LIGHT IMPRESSIONS free catalog by calling
1-800-828-5539.
KEEP YOUR COLLECTION
LOOKING YOUTHFUL
As with your bodies,
you want to slow the aging process. The previous list of damage methods
age paper dolls more rapidly than necessary. So what to do if damage
has already occurred? If there a way to reverse the damage? Yes, in
some instances, and to some degree.
Unroll the Rolls
A large PD print has been rolled and does not want to flatten easily.
Paper has a memory and knows its original form ... flat. By adding
a bit of humidity a tightly rolled print can unroll gradually on its
own., Do not attempt to force open. Surface inks may crack or pop.
Use two new or very clean plastic trash cans, one large, one smaller.
Put about an inch or less of water in the big can. Place the rolled
print in the smaller, dry can. Put the small can inside the larger
can and put a lid on it. The moisture will help the print gradually
relax as it rehydrates. When some uncurling occurs, in a day or so,
remove from the can and place on a sheet of white paper laid over
newsprint, Lay clean sheets on top of print and put evenly distributed
heavy books on top. Let sit for a day or two, then remove nice flat
print.
Ding It Not
Those nasty little U or V shaped marks on books and prints are some
of the most irritating insults to paper dolls and the most preventable.
Try this with your telephone book: Hold it in the palm of your left
hand and thumb through it. See those fingers underneath and the thumb
pushing against them? Look at the back of the book where the U or
V has formed. There will be a crinch in the inks and breakdown of
the smoothness of the paper at the small of the dent. Not what you
want to see on your PDs.
When you thumb through a PD book, hold it in the flat of your hand.
Turn the pages one by one. When you lift a print, use two hands, or
at least several fingers under the back before lifting. If its a large
print, use your whole arm to lift. Bad habits and lack of knowledge
can be corrected. But change is hard. I have seen historians flipping
carelessly through my hundred-plus year-old fashion plates! Its hard
to change others, but you can be aware of and change your own handling
habits.
Repairing Dings
You can disguise dings in dark areas by dabbing matching watercolor
into the cracks with the tip of a fine brush. If you are not an artist
or good at mixing and matching colors, ask an expert to help you.
Mix a shade lighter than you think you need, as paint often dries
darker. You can always darken by adding another layer of color.
Boxing for Beauty
When storing in boxes or in drawers, use acid-free materials Place
acid-free tissue between each PD when stacking. If using a wooden
drawer, seal with white acrylic paint, then line with acid free paper.
If you must use cardboard boxes, line them first with mylar, then
stack with acid-free papers.
Filing for the Future
If you store PDs in a file cabinet, use hanging files lined with archival
paper, or use file folders made of archival paper. Do not pack too
tightly to cause intense pressure on inks, or too loosely so PDs bend.
Framing Fundamentals
When framing PD prints, always use a mat to keep art from touching
the glass. A mat leaves an air pocket so paper can breath. It takes
in and lets out humidity with the seasons. If against glass, paper
will buckle and mildew can grow in the gaps.
Always use archival materials -- acid free mats, backing papers and
boards. You can even buy UV filtered acrylic in place of glass.
Keep art from direct or reflected sunlight and out of florescent light.
Use full spectrum lights with no ultra violet waves, to show your
really valuable collection. You can buy UV shields for your florescent
lights. Its good for your art and good for you.
Scrap Books and Binders
Clear Polypropylene sheet protectors are inexpensive to display prints
and sets in binders. It is best to use acid-free paper backing before
slipping PDs into sleeve. Use large soft brush to be sure PD is free
of dust which can scratch and become embedded in the paper.
In acid-free paged scrap books, use clear mounting corners or plastic
mounting strips by 3M Corp. Do not use corners on fragile old papers
as they have a tendency to crack and break with pressure. If you must
glue anything down, use a non-acidic glue stick such as UHU, Scotch
or Dennison.
Ephemera storage bags of polypropylene come in all sizes, and are
a nice way to store and show PDs. Mounting pages of 100% cotton with
polypropylene sheets fitted over them are a safe and beautiful way
to show your PDs in ring binders of several sizes.
Clean-ups
Some well-played-with PDs are marked with pencil or crayon. Much of
this can be safely removed without lifting the inks and ruining the
color. White kneadable rubber erasers do a good job.
Microwave
If tiny critters and molds have infested your PDs or books, you can
kill them in the microwave. (Check for tiny pinholes in the paper
-- a sign of insect infestation which could spread.) Lay book or cut
sets on the clean bottom of microwave. Put an open small dish of water
in with it to add some humidity to the air if the paper is extremely
dry. Set on high for 30 seconds. Stop and feel the surface of paper.
You want it hot, but not too hot to touch. Beware of scorching --
this is not good.
Before microwaving mildewed papers, first brush off as much as you
can. Then with a clean, wrung out, damp cloth gently brush away the
remainder on outside surfaces and inner covers. Microwave as above,
but without the dish of water. Set out in well-ventilated area to
dry, turning pages from time to time. Make sure paper is thoroughly
dry before storing again.
Judy Johnson is a founding member of the Original Paper Doll Artists
Guild, writes for several national magazines and is a paper doll artist
whose books have been published by Dover and B. Shackman. She is also
the primary artist for Magicloth Paper Dolls. For a catalog of her
paper dolls and paper goodies, send $2 to: Judy's Place, P.O. Box
216, Skandia, MI 49885, or visit her papergoodies
website.
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