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How to Clean, Repair, Store and Display Your Heirloom Papers and Photographs

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Interested in professionally maintaining your memorabilia or family heirlooms? Then check out How to Clean, Repair, Store and Display Your Heirloom Papers and Photographs by Martha E. Webb. It is a refreshing resource useful to anyone interested in museum studies and historic preservation, as well as other individuals wanting to protect their keepsakes and heirlooms. The author discusses each step (cleaning, repairing, storing and displaying) in detail and keeps the diversity of her readers in mind by offering alternative methods throughout the book. In one example, if a reader cannot afford to buy acid-free slipcovers or boxes, the author describes how to make a cheaper, yet durable version.

Not only does the author accommodate the needs of a novice audience, she also discusses the techniques necessary for working with more challenging artifacts. The author gives instruction on how to protect the artifacts and explains difficult processes: for example, if during the cleaning process a piece of paper is discovered to be too fragile, then a shift in the cleaning material is recommended, such as from an art gum eraser to a cleaning pad. Another bonus of this book is the extensive list of conservation supply sources and the recommendations of the best materials to use.

How to Clean, Repair, Store and Display Your Heirloom Papers and Photographs helps readers to understand what initially makes heirlooms unclean. Several everyday habits are identified as harmful to artifacts: holding together a stack of papers with a metal paper clip, using scotch tape to repair an object, and touching memorabilia with bare hands. Once readers are aware of such problems and learn how to fix them, the readers and their heirlooms will benefit from the knowledge gained.

How to Clean, Repair, Store and Display Your Heirloom Papers and Photographs is a beneficial addition to both professional and personal heirloom collectors' resource materials.