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Hello,
I worked for a while in picture framing, and we got one of these maps to
frame. Very unusual and wonderful maps! We determined that they are in fact
SILK. Perhaps because that material is extraordinarily strong for its
weight, longlasting, and holds color well under extreme conditions. Silk
would also hold up well in salt water. Silk is an animal product
(silkworms) rather than a more degradable vegetable product.
We heard that aviators wore them around their necks, so if they were shot
down, the map would be right with them. The one I saw was of France and
Germany.
Glad you are able to preserve these unusual and valuable historical maps.
Will you post a summary on this interesting subject? Rixanne
 
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>          Our Archivist here at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
>          Library has just been given some rare Army Air Force Cloth
>          Survival Charts. We'd like to know what kind of cloth these
>          were printed on.
 
Rixanne Wehren
GeoGraphics / Coastal Land Trust
707-937-2709 (M-F 8-12 am)
FAX 937-4520