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Archiver > PANORTHU > 1998-04 > 0892127318


From: "Dorothy M. Paul" <>
Subject: Re: [PANORTHU-L] Update on Preservation of old Birth Bapt. Certs.
Date: Thu, 09 Apr 1998 08:08:38 -0500


At 11:50 PM 4/8/1998 -0700, Ralph Schwalm wrote:
>
>Hi again Joe:
>Try pressing it first. If after several days, it still curls
>here's something to try: put it in the oven. Of course, don't turn the
>oven on. Put it on a fairly high shelf, and below, say about midway down,
>put in a large pan of water. When closed, the oven door will seal the
>moisture in, which should not dampen the taufschein, but should take away
>the tendency to curl. Keep an eye on it, but it will take awhile,
>depending on how badly curled it is. Once you see good improvement,
>let it air out a bit and then press it again. Some conservators might
>raise an eyebrow at this, but I don't think so. They do pretty much the
>same thing with special tanks and stuff. It's worked for me.
>Ralph

The oven should not be used if the document has any wax seals! If the
document is of great importance, don't "try" anything that you are not
completely sure of. Importance should not be confused with financial value.
If it has to do with your family, then is has importance - the older the
more importance!

My personal favorite suggestion is to consider giving /(permanent) loan the
document to your local historical museum (we have fortunate to have a
wonderful one here in South Bend [Northern Indiana Historical Museum]) to
have them do the conservation necessary and then have them give the family
an acid-free copy that can be framed and displayed. Win, win situation to
my mind! If you museum will allow a "permanent loan" then you retain some
control.

Dorothy

Dorothy M. Paul, Brittle Books Reformatting Unit,
Preservation, University Libraries, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (219)631-8694
FAX:(219)631-4422 http://www.nd.edu/~dpaul/
"Genealogists are ancestrally challenged!" **Invictus Maneo**

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