May 2, 2024 published by Loudoun County Historic Records and Deed Division of the Clerk of the Circuit Court https://www.loudoun.gov/2165/Historic-Records-Deed-Research

Historic Paper Conservation Past and Present

by Ken Bancroft

Historic Records Clerk

Clerk of the Circuit Court

Paper is an important element in our history. It helps us keep records of everything from the official to the personal. Changes in technology have affected how well these pieces of our past can be preserved. The irony is that thenewer, mechanized methods have less permanence than those that were produced a few hundred years ago or even a thousand. Modern techniques to counter the effects of time, elements, and overuse have also proven more harmful than helpful. The files at the Loudoun County Circuit Court such as deeds, will books, chancery, and marriage records are our public memory and preserving them is foremost in our job.

Written records are integral to the business of running public institutions. It is a tradition that has its roots in ancient Babylon over 5000 years ago. The Egyptians created the earliest form of paper using papyrus plants and overtime the technology for making paper can be traced through Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and America. (Williams). A variety of organic materials were used to make paper employing similar techniques until the Industrial Revolution introduced the paper machine and wood pulp, each of which made the process cheaper and more efficient. Unfortunately, it also made paper less stable which is why older books have more durability and newer materials are more likely to fade away. Paper is something we take for granted, but it is essentially in a constant state of decay so the challenge is how to manage that so that future generations will have access to them.

Conservation has its trials: time, water, humidity, light, pests, and mishandling cause damage such as tears, discoloration, mold, and brittleness. Archival repair is time consuming and expensive. Since the nineteenth century, standard archival practice utilized silk or Japanese paper to keep pages together. It was effective but did not stop the aging process or offer protection from other elemental threats (NBS). In the 1930’s the National Bureau of Standards presented the idea of using a lamination technique with cellulose acetate as the new way to protect these documents. The paper wasplaced between two layers of laminate and pressed together under extreme heat to suspend the artifact in a permanent state. A conservationist working with the Virginia State Library advanced the technique by patenting a device that madethe process inexpensive and efficient. William J Barrow’s roller laminator became the standard for archival management up until the 1980’s selling machines throughout the U.S. and around the world (Woodward) 

It became apparent, however, that the process was untested and too efficient. The pages were protected from outside elements but sealed in such a way that it created an environment for accelerated decay. Natural acids in thepaper fiber were disintegrating and the problem became noticeable when the archives rooms began smelling like vinegar (McGath). It was a recipe for disaster. In the last thirty years, de-lamination has been the major concern in conservation,and it requires a lot of time and resources to undo the process. The Library of Virginia (LVA) and the Virginia State Historical Records Advisory Board created the LVA Circuit Court Record Preservation Program to safeguard our historic Deeds, Wills, Plats, Court Orders, Chancery Cases, and Military Records. With the CCRP and other generous grants, Loudoun’s records are being delaminated and re-preserved in new, safer mylar sleeves. We treasure our oldbooks and documents as custodians of our past but due to their nature we must protect them so that they can last. 

Bibliography

Britt, W. Kenneth. “papermaking.” Britannica. Accessed April 19, 2024 https://www.britannica.com/technology/papermaking.

“Chapter 8: Sourced in Cellulose Acetate Lamination Research and Practice.” The National Bureau of Standards andLamination. Accessed April 21, 2024 Chapter 8 Sources in Cellulose Acetate Lamination Research and Practice (culturalheritage.org).

“Collections Care.” Library of Congress. Accessed April 19, 2024 https://www.loc.gov/ preservation/care/.

“History of Papermaking Around the World.” Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking.” Accessed April 20, 2024 https://paper.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/2021-04/History of Papermaking Around the World.pdf

History of Paper. Accessed April 20, 2024 http://www.historyofpaper.net/.

McGath, Molly. “Cellulose Acetate Lamination: History.” (2017, 39) 16-20. Accessed April 19, 2024 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/ 342318016_Cellulose_Acetate_Lamination_History.

Woodward, Eddie. “The Epidemic in the Archives: A Layman’s Guide to Cellulose Acetate Lamination.” RBM: AJournal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage. 18 no. 2 (2017) Accessed April 19, 2024https://rbm.acrl.org/index.php/rbm/article/view/16820/18410