JosephC Posted July 17, 2011 Share #1 Posted July 17, 2011 I purchased a yardlong at the Brimfield Show Friday that I hope can be brought back to displayable condition. I might have paid more than I should have but in the 6 years of collecting yardlongs I have rarely if ever come across one of an African American unit and when I did it was way out of my price range. I hope to get some advice from the forum so I can save it without doing more damage. To complicate the repair the pic was glued to the backing (at least it appears so) and some of the "crackling" I believe is from its being glued. if I can at least clean it up well I would cut away the cardboard at perimeter of pic and reframe it. Cardboard is brittle. Besides the crackling the pic is stained and dirty (glass was broken is corner allowing moisture, mold etc). I will resize pics and post later. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADMIN Posted July 17, 2011 Share #2 Posted July 17, 2011 Joe: Can you post a picture so we have a better idea what you are talking about? Without seeing it, it is hard to say. If I were you I would leave it in an air conditioned room for about a week or two. I've had some disasters when wood and glass are hot from sitting in an attic and practially attach to a picture. It was easier and painless to remove the frame and glass after I let it cool down. The one I had to remove was not too bad glued. Just a few minor places and I could stick a thin razor back there (since it was really only on the corners) and remove the cardboard back). If it is glued quite a bit I honestly don't know. My thoughts would be to leave it. And, when you get it reframed, make sure to use acid free mat. I'm sure someone will have more professional advice than I. Chris I purchased a yardlong at the Brimfield Show Friday that I hope can be brought back to displayable condition. I might have paid more than I should have but in the 6 years of collecting yardlongs I have rarely if ever come across one of an African American unit and when I did it was way out of my price range. I hope to get some advice from the forum so I can save it without doing more damage. To complicate the repair the pic was glued to the backing (at least it appears so) and some of the "crackling" I believe is from its being glued. if I can at least clean it up well I would cut away the cardboard at perimeter of pic and reframe it. Cardboard is brittle. Besides the crackling the pic is stained and dirty (glass was broken is corner allowing moisture, mold etc). I will resize pics and post later. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67Rally Posted July 17, 2011 Share #3 Posted July 17, 2011 I purchased a yardlong at the Brimfield Show Friday that I hope can be brought back to displayable condition. I might have paid more than I should have but in the 6 years of collecting yardlongs I have rarely if ever come across one of an African American unit and when I did it was way out of my price range. I hope to get some advice from the forum so I can save it without doing more damage. To complicate the repair the pic was glued to the backing (at least it appears so) and some of the "crackling" I believe is from its being glued. if I can at least clean it up well I would cut away the cardboard at perimeter of pic and reframe it. Cardboard is brittle. Besides the crackling the pic is stained and dirty (glass was broken is corner allowing moisture, mold etc). I will resize pics and post later. Joe With what you have described, I'd recommend you find a conservator and seek professional consultation. I'd imagine that the photo will continue to deteriorate as the combination of glue and backing materiel are the detriment to the life of the photo. Separating the image from the backing would be one recommendation if it could be done without damaging the image...which is highly unlikely. Stabilizing the decay by sealing it from exposure to oxygen may be the only way to slow down the process. I'd love to see the scans when you get a chance. If you want, scan in sections at the highest possible rez, and send to me and I can stitch them together into one single image file - which you can then take and have printed for a display copy - keeping the original out of the light (which also aids in deterioration). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack's Son Posted July 17, 2011 Share #4 Posted July 17, 2011 Joe, Without seeing it, but using your description as a guide........LET A PRO DO IT!! I have recently had a certificate restored by a professional, and it was not cheap, but it was worth every penny. If you would care to see more, I can send a link along! JS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted July 17, 2011 Share #5 Posted July 17, 2011 I agree with the above statements.Often when the item is framed against the glass you can also have image transfer.A condition caused by the glass and photo being matted against each other.THis was the way it was done then.Better methods are now known.If restored and reframed professionally by a conservator the item can most likely be stabilized from further damage.At a minimum best to get the glass off it and go from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted July 17, 2011 Share #6 Posted July 17, 2011 Agreed with above posts, don't try to fix something if you've never done it before and never on a rare or valuable item - it stands a good chance of being destroyed. Let a professional use their training to save it. This is a pretty common problem on photos of the era. My opinion..for what it's worth..(Not much I know ) RC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkdriver Posted July 17, 2011 Share #7 Posted July 17, 2011 When I talked to the WWI curator at the WWI museum, he gave me advice on how to fix my yard longs. I was going to do a pictoral description of what he told me to do. Since you are wanting this done, I will give the basics. As said by the others, you do take the chance of ruining the picture no matter what you do or who does it. With that said, here is what he said to do. Find a container that is waterproof and large enough to hold the project and the secondary container. Then find a secondary container that will hold the picture. Fill the bottom of the first container with warm water. Then with the second container, put your picture on it and let it float on the water, do not let it get wet, but it will soak up the water vapor. Close the first container. This will take almost two weeks to complete, replacing the water with warm water every day or two. The picture will begin to swell and get spongy. When it is spongy and soft to the touch, you can then do your work to it and if it was glued, it should release. When you are done with the work, get blotter paper and lay the print out and put another piece of blotter paper over the print and then weighted items to press it flat until it dries. The print will not stick to the blotter paper and once it's dry, the blotter paper will release from it. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted July 17, 2011 Share #8 Posted July 17, 2011 That method does work, but is not recommended if you don't have patience. That said it's about the only way if it's really stuck, and if you don't have experiance working with these photos go ahead and try this technique first. It may save some grief and the photo. Just don't try to seperate the photo from the glass too soon, a slow process has the best chance of succeeding. RC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephC Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted July 18, 2011 It is not adhered to the glass but is adhered to the cardboard - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephC Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted July 18, 2011 It is not adhered to the glass but is adhered to the cardboard - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephC Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share #11 Posted July 18, 2011 more - middle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephC Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share #12 Posted July 18, 2011 more right side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephC Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share #13 Posted July 18, 2011 more trouble uploading middle - here is back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephC Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share #14 Posted July 18, 2011 middle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephC Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share #15 Posted July 18, 2011 I found two "Warringtons" on archive site from 1941/42 and also found that this quartermaster bn may have been bakers. Warrington Anderson was a cook prior to enlistment. sorry about the picture/description troubles; between files size issues and 1AM uploads..... So does the pic look restorable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkdriver Posted July 18, 2011 Share #16 Posted July 18, 2011 Yes, but what is your plan after you get it removed from the cardboard? Also, do you have the patience, space, and equipment to do the work? If not, then as stated, you need to find a restorer and pay the price to have it done. One question I have is why you want to remove it from the cardboard? What it looks like is matting that someone had put to the picture to secure it for framing. If you have the picture removed from the matting, you are going to have to have it re-mounted. I would consider leaving it mounted to the matting and re-frame it and leave it alone as you take the chance of ruining it if you try to remove it. I would suggest you take it to a professional framer and see what they can do for you first. They may be able to salvage it in an acceptable manner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephC Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share #17 Posted July 18, 2011 I do not plan on removing from cardboard but would like to clean up the staining before re-framing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkdriver Posted July 18, 2011 Share #18 Posted July 18, 2011 You might be able to take a damp sponge and life some of the stuff, but overall, it doesn't look that bad for it's age and I wouldn't mess with it. I would take it in and have a framer fix what he can with the current mat and then dry mount it inside a frame, recessed back and away from UV protective glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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