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caring
for antique paintings, pictures and print material
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In caring for antique paintings, pictures and print material, how
and where a picture is hung is crucial to keeping it in good condition.
Photographs, books and stamps, also benefit from proper display,
storage and constant care.
 Always
hang a painting or picture securely, in a spot that is neither damp,
nor above a fire or radiator, nor in too bright a spot.
Make sure air circulates around it by letting it
lean away from the wall. If necessary glue cork pads to the lower
corners of the frame for extra insulation.
One
use metal picture wire and one or two steel or brass picture hooks
depending on the size and weight of the piece.
Heavy,
glazed pictures may also need to be supported at the base on brackets
fixed to the wall. Screw eyehooks onto the frame, never into the
stretcher or back board. With a heavy picture, put a pair of hooks
on each side, fastening the wire and running free through the upper
pair. Then if one hook gives way the painting will still be supported.
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Framing
your valuable antique painting, picture or print.
Whether
you learn to mount and frame pictures yourself or go to an expert,
it is important to understand how framing and mounting will help
to conserve your works of art. 
Oil
paintings must be set in a frame deep enough to accommodate the
painting on its stretcher. The frame can be lined with velvet ribbon
or inert foam-rubber strips to protect the edges of the painting.
If the rebate is too deep, it can be padded out with cork or balsa-wood
strips. If it is too shallow, the frame can be built up with strips
of wood.
Mirror
plates or brass plates screwed into the frame and overlapping the
stretcher, hold both picture and stretcher firmly in place.
Oil
paintings are coated with varnish and do not usually need to be
glazed. However, if you feel more comfortable glazing the painting
to protect it further, then do so.
Works
of art on paper must be mounted on acid free board. Check whether
an existing mount is acidic by looking at the bevelled edges of
the ‘window’; if there is a brown stain around the line
of the window, the board is likely to be made from poor quality
wood pulp and should be replaced.
The
mount separates the glass from the painting or picture and this
not only prevents the work from being rubbed and from sticking to
the glass but also provides a thin layer of air, which deters mould.
Your
frame must be strong enough and deep enough to hold the backing
board, mounting board and glass. The backing board helps keep dust
and insects out – especially if it is sealed with gummed paper
tape around the edges, and secures the picture firmly in its frame.
As it is often made of wood or hardboard and acidic, it should not
touch the back of the picture and should also be coated with polyurethane
varnish or lined with acid-free paper.
Paintings
on paper do not have that protective layer of varnish, and should
be glazed. The glass will also keep out insects such as silverfish,
thunderflies or thrips, which feed on the paper, then die and leave
stains.
Acrylic
(Perspex) sheeting is lighter and less fragile than glass but scratches
easily and attracts dust more readily.
‘Clip-frames’,
cuts of glass and (acidic) hardboard clipped together, are neither
dust proof nor insect proof and are unsuitable for long-term mounting.
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| The
dangers of lighting your antique painting incorrectly.
Most
pigments used for works of art on paper are extremely sensitive
to light and fade dramatically; for this reason, precious items
should never be photocopied.
Oil
paints are less likely to fade but will dry and crack with heat
from direct light.
Beware
of purpose-made picture lamps; the bulbs are usually ordinary incandescent
lights which will overheat the area they illuminate.
Even
cool beam lamps should not be left on for long.
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| Storing
your antique paintings and pictures.
Store
framed pictures in a cool, dark, clean, dry place. Remove hooks
or any protections that may harm the frames or pictures.
Stand
the pictures on wooden blocks to raise them above floor level and
place acid-free board between each one.
Ensure
the largest, heaviest pieces take the weight at the back and place
a weight in front of the stack.
Cover
the lot with a clean sheet – never polythene as this encourages
mould.
Unframed
works of art on paper should be stored in an acid-free box or folder.
Place acid-free tissue between each work and hold horizontally.
Sulphur
vapour from certain substances, including some plastic folders,
causes paper to discolour
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| Storing
and displaying antique books.
Display
books on a shelf that has been painted or varnished, and lined with
acid-free card. Don’t forget that strong light will fade the
spines. If the shelves are within a cabinet, make sure there is
adequate ventilation.
Book-ends
should be as large as the books they confine so that pressure is
spread equally over the surface. Volumes should never be packed
to tightly on a shelf. To remove a book, reach over the top of it,
and ease it out from the back of the shelf, or part it from the
volumes either side and grasp it by the side.
Boards that have fallen off the sides of books can be temporarily
held in place by tying cotton or crepe bandage around the book from
top to bottom. This should not be visible when the book is on the
shelf with other volumes.
Rebinding
may de-value a rare book. A skilful craftsman can ease off an old
spine, rejoint the original boards and re-attach the original spine.
But even this process known as ‘re-backed with spine laid
on’ may reduce the value.
If
broken bindings are repaired or renewed, the original pieces should
be kept safely as documentary evidence.
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| Storing
and displaying your valuable stamp collection.
Only
remove a stamp from its original envelope or card if you are sure
its postmark is of no value.
Never
steam the stamp off, but ‘float’ stamps off in lukewarm
water and then dry them between layers of acid-free white blotting
paper. Any
mounting material that actually touches the stamps must also be
acid free.
Chemically
inert PVC sleeves are useful for mounting complete envelopes or
cards, but make sure they do not seal completely as condensation
may form.
Loose
leaf albums combined with transparent photo mount corners are ideal,
the stamps displayed on one side of each leaf only, in order that
facing pages do not rub or catch.
Never use the adhesive tape or the gum of the stamp itself to fix
it to a surface. Rather use 'gummed stamp hinges' and use the minimum
amount of moisture at the top of the stamp. You should always be
able to peel the stamp off again without damaging it.
Hinges
should not be used for mint stamps, as this could reduce their value.
Use hawid plastic mounting strips instead.
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| Conservation
of your antique paintings, pitcures and print materials.
Conservation
of oil paintings
Conservation work of any sort should be left to a professional.
For instance, go to a restorer at the first signs of paint lifting
or flaking, for once it starts, deterioration can be rapid. Remove
the painting from the wall and lay it face up, so that the paint
does not fall off.
The
varnished surface on oil paintings often yellows with time and may
need to be removed (without dissolving the paint layers beneath)
and renewed.
A
whitish bloom on the surface of an oil painting, brought on by a
damp atmosphere, can be treated.
Bitumen,
which is used in some 19th century oils, can form deep cracks with
age. These are difficult to treat beyond a little filling and retouching
to make the problem a little less obvious.
Conservation of works of
art on paper
For most works of art on paper – including watercolours, drawings,
prints, photographs and books- there are common conservation problems
associated with the paper rather than with the printing or painting
process.
The
more acidic a paper is the quicker it deteriorates – turning
brown and crumbly in light, or in damp conditions developing mould
or little brown spots known as ‘foxing’.
Overall
discolouration is usually due to low-grade paper which becomes increasingly
acidic with age. The problem is aggravated if the paper is in contact
with other acidic materials such as cheap mounting board, so displaying
or storing valuable paintings, pictures, stamps or books in acid-free
materials is an absolute must.
The
light sensitive silver salts in photographs are particularly vulnerable
to chemicals. Photographs should ideally be displayed in albums
with highly alkaline paper and mounted on corner mounts or stamp
hinges, or in closed frames or transparent, acid-free polyester
or polythene envelopes.
Stains
and foxing of watercolours can sometimes be professionally removed
by a skilled washing process. The carbon printing ink used for books
and most European prints is quite stable, and can also be washed
by a conservation specialist without harming the density.
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| How
to mend a tear in your antique painting with starch paste.
Never
use adhesive tape on any work of art on paper. Starch paste and
Japanese tissue paper can be used to mend tears and for mounting.
To
make starch paste;
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Combine one pint (570ml) of de-ionised water with five teaspoons
of calcium hydroxide (available from most chemists).
- Add
a little of this solution to three ounce (85gms) of wheat flour
and blend into a smooth paste, then add the rest of the liquid.
- Pour
the mixture into a warm saucepan then boil for exactly five minutes,
stirring continuously.
- Simmer
for a further fifteen minutes then decant the paste into a clean
bowl and leave in a cool place until it solidifies.
- The
paste should keep for a few days in a refrigerator but if it starts
to go mouldy do not use it.
To
use:
- Lay
the work of art face down on a clean smooth surface with a piece
of backing paper beneath the tear.
- Tear
a piece of Japanese tissue paper slightly longer and wider than
the tear and lightly coat it with the paste.
- Place
the patch over the tear and a piece of acid-free backing paper
over the patch.
- Cover
the area with a piece of white acid-free blotting paper and place
a weight evenly, on top of it.
- Leave
to dry for up to twenty four hours
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| Cleaning
your antique paintings, pictures and prints.
Beyond
removing surface dust with a soft squirrel brush, or lightly dusting
the case of a miniature, the cleaning of pictures, either oils or
on paper is a job for the professional.
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