About Conservation -

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Conservation should be conservative.

 

Quarto Conservation of Books & Paper, Inc. performs treatments which will repair damage to works of art on paper, paper-based artifacts, vellum and books. The goal of the treatment is to physically and chemically stabilize artifacts and improve the appearance in a manner which is appropriate to the historical integrity of the artifact. The goal is not to make the artifact look “new” again, and in this respect, conservation is not “restoration.” A completed conservation treatment may or may not dramatically improve appearance. The subtlety of what is appropriate and what is possible for each treatment will be discussed with the client before treatment begins so that a realistic description of the likely outcome will be understood.

 

It is important to look closely to determine what the most important issues are.

 

At first glance, the tape seems to be the biggest problem on this Fractur. But looking more closely, there are two more important conservation concerns.

 

Not only is the acidic iron gall ink on the manuscript eating through the paper, but the red media has cracked so severely in some places that it is nearly falling off the page.

 

Understanding what NOT to do is as important as knowing what to do.

 

Iron gall ink and delicate media make the treatment of this Fractur a big challenge. Knowing how to support it's physical and chemical weaknesses without incurring more damage requires a thorough understanding of what NOT to do.

 

Another example occurred when the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) asked Quarto to repair a number of Woodie Guthrie’s notebooks for a traveling exhibition, Quarto discussed treatment options with them and with the artifacts’ owner, his daughter, Nora Guthrie. We determined what level of conservation treatment was appropriate to regain the notebooks’ physical and chemical stability while maintaining their historical integrity. Woodie’s pocket-sized “idea books,” which were small telephone directory books that had alphabetical lists of song ideas rather than names and phone numbers,  were bent from years of being carried around in the back pocket of Woodie’s jeans. That shape was important to understanding how the idea books were used. It was part of their history. The idea books were repaired in a manner that maintained their original shape

 

For books in particular, the conservator studies the binding structure to determine how it was originally made, but may opt not to reproduce this binding technique when the book is repaired. Because the original structure failed, it is best not to set it up for a second failure by repairing it in the manner of the original. Rather, the conservator chooses the best structure which is sympathetic with the original without reproducing its weaknesses.

 

Occasionally, a decision may be made not to repair at all. When Quarto prepared World War II war hero Audie Murphy’s Bible for exhibition at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution, we understood that the Bible looked as though it had been through a war because it HAD been through a war. It would diminish the book’s historical integrity to repair it in a manner that reduced the visual impact of that simple fact. The item was stabilized for exhibition, and not beautified in any way.

 

Know when to take a more aggressive treatment approach.

 

Conversely, works of art on paper were created with strict aesthetics in mind and the conservator will sometimes take extraordinary efforts to reproduce artist’s aesthetic intent. In the repair of art, as opposed to documents or books, the aesthetic beauty of the completed conservation treatment is important to maintaining the integrity of the artifact.

 

Keep treatment value in proportion to artifact value.

 

The value of the proposed treatment should always be in proportion to the value of the artifact. Unless an artifact has tremendous sentimental or historical value, it is illogical to suggest to a client that more than its market value should be invested in its repair. As such, it is advisable that the client arrive at the conservation studio with a realistic idea of what their artifact is worth. The conservator aims to outline a conservation treatment plan that addresses the physical and chemical weaknesses of the artifact to whatever extent possible within the limits of the artifact’s value.

 

All conservation treatments are documented completely, and written documentation of treatment is provided to the client. Photo-documentation of before and after treatment is kept on file at Quarto, and is provided to clients upon request.