Hi Allison,
I just consulted with our conservation expert here at UCLA, and here is what she suggests:
I would recommend the librarian have the rare parchment map professionally re-housed by NEDCC, a regional conservation outfit in the
Boston area.
https://www.nedcc.org/paper-conservation-at-nedcc/about
At a minimum acid free paper materials and some rigid support for handling should be used in the housing, but there are many factors.
If the media (colors and writing) on the parchment is at all flaky or powdery, nothing with static electricity should come near it. Mylar has lots of static electricity. If researchers need access to both sides, specialized mounts should be considered for
safe turning of the map.
The link below is highly technical and related directly to issues for housing parchment.
http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Parchment_(PCC)#18.4.13_Housing
Best,
Louise
Louise Ratliff
Social Sciences and Map Catalog Librarian
UCLA Library Cataloging & Metadata Center
11020 Kinross Ave.
Box 957230
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7230
(310)206-5853
From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Allison Rich
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2016 10:18 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Question about housing for a vellum map
Hi All:
We need some conservation advice on housing for a vellum map and I thought that this might be a good place
to ask for that advice.
Out vellum map is a portolan chart by a Portuguese cartographer from 1546.
It has been housed in a large portfolio and stored flat. The paper in that portfolio is old, however, and moreover acidic. We tested it with our PH pen.
Normally we store our maps on paper in sheets of mylar but we are unsure what to
do with the vellum. Is it not advisable to have the plastic rubbing
against the inks on the vellum.
Does the vellum need to be weighted down because it will react more with a change in temperature and humidity?
This map is beautiful and quite valuable
and we want to do right by it. Just
how should we store and house the lovely thing?
If anyone has any advice here, or can point me to a good forum to which to address my question,
we would be most appreciative.
Best,
Allison
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