Scrolling down from the screen shown below, you can select from a list of object types, including books and paper, framed art, photographs, textiles, stone, metal, furniture, and so on. Here is what you are shown if you select books and paper:

“Books
If rinsing is necessary, hold book closed.
Partially wet or damp:
Stand on top or bottom edge with covers opened to 90-degree angle.
Air dry.
Very wet:
Lay flat on clean surface.
Interleave less than 20% of book with absorbent material.
Replace interleaving when damp.
If too many books to air dry in 48 hours:
Wrap in freezer or waxed paper.
Pack spine down in sturdy containers.
Freeze.
Paper
Air dry flat as individual sheets or small piles up to 1/4″. Interleave; replace interleaving when damp.
Do not unfold or separate individual wet sheets.
If too many items for air drying
Interleave (by groups or individually) with freezer or waxed paper.
Pack papers or files supported and standing up in sturdy containers; pack containers only 90% full.
Freeze.”

For Immediate Release

September 13, 2013

For Information Contact:

Lori Foley

(781) 259-8652

lfoley@heritagepreservation.org

Advice for Saving Damaged Family Treasures

Follow these steps to halt further damage

As the threat of flash flooding persists in Colorado, residents in affected towns and cities are being urged to seek higher ground. When the flooding ends, residents will begin the long journey of recovery. With homes flooded and lives upended, treasured possessions such as family heirlooms, photos, and other keepsakes become more cherished. Unless they are contaminated by sewage or chemicals, these treasures can be saved. The Heritage Emergency National Task Force, a coalition of 42 national organizations and federal agencies co-sponsored by FEMA and Heritage Preservation, offers these basic guidelines from professional conservators for individuals who discover their family treasures have been damaged:

• Safety First! With any disaster there may be health risks. Wear long sleeves, sturdy shoes, and plastic or rubber gloves during cleanup. Protective gear such as goggles and a fitted face mask is recommended if there is mold.

• Prevent Mold. Mold can form within 48 hours; you will need to work fast. The goal is to reduce the humidity and temperature around your treasures as you proceed to clean and dry them. If you do encounter extensive mold, use protective gear such as gloves, goggles, and an N100 face mask, available at most hardware stores.

• Air-Dry. Gentle air-drying is best for all your treasured belongings—indoors, if possible. Hair dryers, irons, ovens, and prolonged exposure to sunlight will do irreversible damage. Increase indoor airflow with fans, open windows, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers.

• Handle with Care. Use great caution in handling your heirlooms, which can be especially fragile when wet. Separate damp materials: remove the contents from drawers; take photographs out of damp albums; remove paintings and prints from frames; place paper towels between the pages of wet books.

• Clean Gently. Loosen dirt and debris on fragile objects gently with soft brushes and cloths. Avoid rubbing, which can grind in dirt.

• Salvage Photos. Clean photographs by rinsing them carefully in clean water. Air-dry photos on a plastic screen or paper towel, or by hanging them by the corner with plastic clothespins. Don’t let the image come into contact with other surfaces as it dries.

• Prioritize. You may not be able to save everything, so focus on what’s most important to you, whether for historic, monetary, or sentimental reasons.

• Can’t Do It All? Damp objects and items that cannot be dealt with immediately should be put in open, unsealed boxes or bags. Photos, papers, books, and textiles should be frozen if you can’t get them dry within 48 hours.

• Call in a Pro. If a precious item is badly damaged, a conservator may be able to help. Be sure to collect broken pieces. Set your treasure aside in a well-ventilated room until you find professional help. If a precious item has been exposed to contaminated water, seek a conservator’s advice on salvaging it; your health and safety, and that of your loved ones, is of utmost importance. To locate a conservator, click on the “Find a Conservator” box on the home page of the American Institute for Conservation, www.conservation-us.org.

A free, online video guide demonstrating how to rescue soaked photographs, books, documents, and other valued items is available from Heritage Preservation. This 10-minute streaming video provides professional advice that benefits families as well as museum and library staff. View and link to the video at:

http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/WaterSegmentFG.HTM

Additional resources for salvaging flood-damaged materials as well as a copy of this press release and the Task Force logo can be found here: http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/flood.html

These recommendations are intended as guidance only. Neither the Heritage Emergency National Task Force nor its sponsors, Heritage Preservation and FEMA, assumes responsibility or liability for treatment of damaged objects.

_________________________

Heritage Preservation (www.heritagepreservation.org) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the United States. By identifying risks, developing innovative programs, and providing broad public access to expert advice, Heritage Preservation assists museums, libraries, archives, organizations, and individuals in caring for our endangered heritage.

Heritage Preservation is co-sponsor with the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, a partnership of 42 national service organizations and federal agencies created to protect cultural heritage from the damaging effects of natural disasters and other emergencies.

###

A few weeks ago I went over to CinemaLab to visit with Robert David, motion picture film preservationist extraordinaire, about our pending NFPF Basic Film Preservation grant. I took along a box full of 16mm reels, 1926-1936, depicting first ascents in the Canadian Rockies, which film preservation specialist Snowden Becker had wound on new cores and placed in new canisters way back in August.

Robert was gracious enough to show me around their enormous space, and I fell in love with all the machines. I do not know film production, but I certainly enjoyed looking at all the gears and reels and lights and gadgets. You can enjoy them in a small slideshow, if you like.

And I Quote:

“Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have shown that simply peeling ordinary sticky tape in a vacuum can generate enough X-rays to take an image — of one of the scientists’ own fingers (see videos).

“At some point we were a little bit scared,” says Juan Escobar, a member of the research team. But he and his co-workers soon realized that the X-rays were only emitted when the kit was used in a vacuum. “We don’t want to scare people from using Scotch tape in everyday life,” Escobar adds.”

Yes, actually. We do. We want to scare people from using Scotch tape on archival documents and works of art.  Let’s not forget to mention radiation in our tape prevention lectures, shall we?

The researchers go on to say this:

“…the high charge density generated by peeling the tape could be great enough to trigger nuclear fusion. Michael Loughlin, a nuclear analyst at the international nuclear fusion experiment, ITER, in Cadarache, France, is sceptical. But he adds that if he is proved wrong, a system that could provide fusion reactions at the flick of a switch would be very useful.”

Oh, goodness.  Be careful scraping with that spatula, would you?

Seriously, though – what does this mean for research about adhesion and release? Anything?

And talk about toys – watch the video and check out the monitor in the background showing the adhesive releasing as the spool unwinds in the vacuum chamber. Nice.