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Old newspapers

Posted: Mon 01 Jun, 2020 2:01 pm
by +Rafe+
Hoping to get a few tips on tackling a personal project. I have a variety of old newspapers that my grandmother collected and I am keen to mount and frame a few of them.

As is expected with newspapers they are very brittle and some have significant damage.

My first advice to customer would be to have a high res reproduction made and frame that, however I am keen to see what I can do without doing that.

I gather encapsulation with Mylar but as yet haven't tackled a job like this yet.

I would be really grateful for any experience / advice.

Thank you all.

Re: Old newspapers

Posted: Mon 01 Jun, 2020 4:12 pm
by Not your average framer
The cost of getting something like this restored is not really economically, when you consider that the value to the acually newspaper is going to be a lot less the the cost of restoration. Even handling it to scan it to create a reproduction for framing is likely to create serious difficulties avoiding the newspaper falling to pieces. Sorry, but too far gone!

Re: Old newspapers

Posted: Tue 02 Jun, 2020 7:14 pm
by pramsay13
Encapsulate with melinex or similar:

Image

Image

Re: Old newspapers

Posted: Tue 02 Jun, 2020 7:59 pm
by Not your average framer
What is going to keep a deteriorating newspaper from falling apart behind the melinex. Probably not a lot! I fancy, it needs sticking down, but what if you want to read the other side of the front page. There is also the problem that if it does not look so "dog eared" and not nice and flat, then I might look to pristine and the appearance of authentic age would be compromised.. Handling it and fixing it down onto a substrate is quite a tall order, for most people.

What if it falls apart in your hands and can't be fixed. Opps! I could probably do it, but I am an experienced paper conservator. In spite of that, I'm less keen to do things that are barely hanging together these days. considering that everybody and his dog have kept certain newspapers, from the day's of such notable events, there is no rarity value to stuff like that and the cost of getting it properly restoredis so far above the reasonable value of the newspaper. doing all that much about it just does not add up.

Assuming that it does not completely fall apart in your hands and assuming that you know how to consolidate the paper with a sovent based restoration polymer and then stick the whole thing down onto a conservation quality substrate, with out the repair showing, how are you expecting to do all that. It's crazy! really good conservators often charge £50 an hour and that is quite a lot of work, quite possibly half a day, plus materials. £200 might not be an unreasonable price for a top rate conservator. Really, it may not be as easy as you might be thinking.

You can't remotely consider using anything water based on anything this far gone, as it will just turn into mush. preparing and mixing the correct strength of solvent based polymer, is definitely a knowhow thing and sticky it down on to a substrate so that you can't see where it was severed, is an extremely skillful task that requires experience and training. What happens if it all goes wrong and the customer wants compensation? I'd leave it well alone I think.

Re: Old newspapers

Posted: Tue 02 Jun, 2020 8:59 pm
by cleaver
Fascinating, yet sad object Rafe.

Just a mad thought: how about framing it like it's on a news stand? What i mean is holding the newspaper in place with a sheet of that diamond-shaped metal mesh (original with old chipped paint would be ideal)? See pic below for the sort of thing I'm on about. Then just frame it as usual, with glass and an apt moulding.

Probably the most non-conservation framing solution ever, but if you're not too worried about such things, it could look really cool.

GL, mate - whatever way you go with it.

Image

Re: Old newspapers

Posted: Tue 09 Jun, 2020 10:26 am
by +Rafe+
Thank you for the replies and my apologies for my delay in getting back to you... we are still in lockdown and trying to juggle home-life, a toddler and looking at ways to open up again ...

As you say Mark, their isn much value (apart from sentiment) in getting it professionally restored and this wasn't going to be my direction and as you pointed out its either getting destroyed in my attempts to frame it or lays under the bed until it turns to dust...

I am going to have a go at framing it and will try encapsulation (for the first times any tips grateful) and I liked your design suggestion Cleaver.

Thanks again and I will let you know how I get on.

Cheers

Re: Old newspapers

Posted: Tue 09 Jun, 2020 12:50 pm
by Justintime
Only thing I can think to suggest is that a burnishing tool helps with the folds. I often have to wrap Artists prints in clear film. They all say that they hate doing it. I could see why, until I started burnishing all of the folds, now it's easy. Oh and a tiny bit of tape (I use 3M Magic tape) where the overlap meets on the back, at the edges of the work, stops it bowing up and keeps it tight. Hope that helps!

Re: Old newspapers

Posted: Tue 09 Jun, 2020 2:58 pm
by Not your average framer
I'm guessing that older newspaper were printed osing a oil based quick drying ink, which employ a very quick to evapourate solvent, also I'm guessing that the browning with age is going to become partly deolved in anything water based, therefore leving the characteristic water marks when things dry out. Of course the paper has been discoloured by the effects of the lignen in the paper turning to acid a burning the cellulose fibres in the paper. It is well know that this acid attack is more than likely to make the paper particularly fragile.

The normal procedure would be to consolodate the paper by impregnating the paperwith a solvent based polymer, which considerating the obvious fragmenting of the paper needs to be administered in a way that does not risk further damage to the paper. The consoldating materal is intented to replace the missing durability which has been lost from the results of aging and acid induced deterioration. after the paper has been consolodated, in should be a bit safer to be handling the paper.

Consider that it is the rect side title page, which is the liely to be of the most interest. Is might be worth considering repairing the broke areas in the paper and mounting the paper on to fine linen, before framing. It is normal to consider issues of reversibility, when repairing the broken paper and when mounting the paper onto linen. Just in case anyone is thinking otherwise this is not a job, for those who do not have the necessary experienc, training, equipment, or insurance cover.