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I agree Dimas,
Where is the fun in keeping everything sealed up and out of sight? I try not to handle these things and really avoid touching the metallic parts without washed and dried hands. As long as there isn't an acid present to speed the process along, periodic handling is something I'm okay with as well. These are the Benefits of having a private collection...and the responsibility too.
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10-07-2013 10:33 PM
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I handle my stuff very little. It is where I can see it, but I leave it alone most of the time, and never touch or breath on any shiny bits at all, if I can help it.
Dr. CMH's treasures are well displayed. You can also get a dehumidifier as a first line of defense.
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by
Friedrich-Berthold
I handle my stuff very little. It is where I can see it, but I leave it alone most of the time, and never touch or breath on any shiny bits at all, if I can help it.
Dr. CMH's treasures are well displayed. You can also get a dehumidifier as a first line of defense.
Thank you for the kind words. I try to display the items in a manner that requires me to handle them very little. If I had a collection as large and as spectacular as yours, I would likely do the same as you and keep the items covered but still visible. There just isn't enough room to tastefully display many tunics in my home.
Humidity is something I ponder frequently and really should follow closely.
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I am sure my house is smaller than yours. I live in a heap, but it is a source of pleasure. I worked in a museum in the 1970s and learned the basics of preservation and such and have tried to adhere to them.
I am also sure that the proper storage and display of my things would require a house many times the size of mine, and a huge investment in infrastructure and gee gaws that I am loath to make.
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Very gladdened am I by the growth of Dr. CMH's collection. He will make a fine owner of my junk.
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I have considered the proper museum display cabinets, complete with sequestered and fully controlable microclimate and lighting. The space required for this and the cost for the cabinets -a price more than the tunics run- makes it impractical for me. Perhaps outside of the So. California real estate market, but not here.
Your experience with museum conservation has, and will continue, to serve you and your collection well. We all profit from your experience and your guidance.
Regards,
CMH
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Thank you and all the best.
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basic conservation principles are easy to learn and follow, they can yield very satisfying results. Much has been learned since the 70's though F-B, not knowing exactly what your situation is - all I can remark is that you might reconsider the plastic bags over your jackets, they are not conducive to good protection. Unbleached cotton wraps are ideal, they keep dust off and reduce rubbing wear and accidental handling. The poly bags don't breathe, create nasty micro-climates and off gas a lot of things that like to react with free metallic ions. Periodic inspection of seams and pockets is recommended to ensure that dormant moth eggs have not reached optimal conditions and gestated. A handy pair of cotton gloves around when messing with metal stuff is not a bad practice either.
The Canadian Conservation Institute has many short and practical notes for free as PDF's that cover the vast majority of the concerns of collectors and curators. CCI Notes
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Thank you. I appreciate the advice.
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Fakers will replicate age oxidation of bullion insignia by soaking them in disinfectant, such as "Dettol" here in the UK. So any insignia which smells of this will be most suspect.
Cheers, Ade.
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by
Adrian Stevenson
Fakers will replicate age oxidation of bullion insignia by soaking them in disinfectant, such as "Dettol" here in the UK. So any insignia which smells of this will be most suspect.
Cheers, Ade.
A quick Google of "Dettol" yields the following:
"The active ingredient in Dettol that confers its antiseptic property is chloroxylenol (C8H9ClO), an aromatic chemical compound. Chloroxylenol comprises 4.8% of Dettol's total admixture,[1] with the rest made up by pine oil, isopropanol, castor oil, soap and water." (Source: Wikipedia)
The emulsion also contains other numerous phenols. These phenolic compounds are weak acids (pKa~= 10) that are gentle enough to not entirely destroy the item, but, are able to drive the reaction forward and oxidize the aluminum. Just a little water and acid...what takes decades or longer is done in just a few minutes. Thanks Ade for the information.
CMH
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