vINTAGE pRINTS - lithographs and etchings: September 2014

Last week I purchased three prints, all from the same sale, and decided that now would be a good time to document their before and after transformation. I'll show some of the most common condition problems with vintage or antique works on paper. The list is as follows:

Toning - discoloration of the paper due to prolonged (were talking decades) exposure to sunlight. The paper goes from white to yellow or brown.
Mat burn - the acid from the paper fibers in the mat cause a discoloration to occur where the mat sat on top of the print.
Laid Down - framers of yesteryear thought nothing of slathering the back of the print (or part of the print with) glue to achieve a perfectly smooth look and the make sure the art would stay where it was placed. This too can damage and discolor the print over time.

All of the prints I purchased had one problem or another. Although they are not especially expensive pieces I decided to clean, re-mat, and re-frame them in an effort to restore their look. This type of undertaking does not always make economic sense. I don't end up making much for my time! It is a measure of my love for old things and restoration.

In the first photo I show the prints submerged in the bath and set out on our front lawn. Not sure how the neighbors feel about this...oh well.

Paper Conservation

This cute print oddly entitled "Self Portrait" is a good example of what mat burn can do to a print. Notice that the center of the print is bright and white, it's the only the margins that are discolored. Also contact with the corrugated cardboard backing has caused a striped pattern to appear on the back, which can also be seen faintly on the front.

mat burn- etching of a cat

The print below dates from the 1920's and suffers from toning. Toning can really rob a print of its "life" and it can even obscure some of the details in the scene. It's titled "Wien Beethovenhaus" and will fit in well with all the other music related prints on the site.

Print with toning or discoloration

I saved the best for last. An antique print with good subject matter and a lovely slightly Japanese style. The framer had glued it down to a backing board and then put glue along the edges to mount the mat. You can faintly see the stains in the margins (especially at the top).

At this stage I had already begin the paper conservation process. I had submerged the print to separate it from the backing. I then manually removed the discolored mat and brittle glue on the front. I hoped that further treatment would lighten or remove the glue stains.

Print that was "laid down"

Here are the after photos and I am basically happy with the results. Now you can actually see Beethoven's House and read the title. The etching of the cat not longer suffers from heavy mat burn, but a slight touch of it can still be seen. In the last photo you can see that the glue stains have disappeared.

Wien Beethovenhaus

"Self Portrait"

Vintage color etching

Here are the original frames. All of them are sound and go well with the artwork. Given the price of framing today I often offer the piece with a frame if I can. The task now is to replace the mats and backing with acid free materials and re-fit the art into the frames. If the mats and baking are not replaced the damage I just fixed can occur all over again.

Currently I do not have the equipment or the knowledge to cut mats and David Gee is the framing wizard who will do this part of the job. He will also touch-up one of the frames making the wear on the sides almost invisible. Below you can see the final results.

I hope you will consider some of prints that I have for sale at affordablevintage4u on eBay.