Preservation and Care of Philatelic Materials
Subsidiary Page
6
Proper Handling of Stamps and
Covers
We frequently come by cards and covers which have tear damage repaired with plastic
tape. Serious trouble is certainly at hand with such items. You may think, and probably
correctly so, that further deterioration of the item can be avoided by removal of the plastic
tape. The utility of Scotch tape and other plastic tapes is legend; however, such tapes
should absolutely never under any circumstances be used to repair philatelic materials,
even temporarily. The best advice in dealing with the repair of items mended with plastic
tape is to seek the aid and services of a professional conservationist.
Cardboard is another item to be kept well away from our philatelic materials. It is
generally highly acidic, and the chemicals in cardboard are rapidly transferred and hasten
destruction. If you require a rigid support of a philatelic item, use an all-rag type of
board.
Conservators use chemical baths to eliminate mildew growth and stains. Frequently,
when papers have been cleaned and bleached, they are dipped in a gelatin bath
in order to restore the paper. The glutinous sizing of the paper adds strength
to it, and sometimes a corrective dye will be added to the gelatin bath in order
to give the paper a tint close to its original color.
Foxing, which is a stain caused by fungal growth, can often be removed by using a
potassium permanganate solution of five drops per pint of water. Carbon tetrachloride or
benzine are effective in removing grease and oily stains. These chemicals are very
hazardous and must be used according to instructions on the containers. The best advice is
to let the professional clean your philatelic items.
It does sound extreme, but immersion of a stamp in boiling water will remove some oily
stains. It is vital, however, that the printing inks of the stamp are not water soluble.
Restoration of older stamps which have become oxidized can be effected with hydrogen
peroxide solution, five drops per pint of water.
Advanced restorative techniques which should only be used by the experienced
professional restorer include inlaying and cellulose acetate strengthing.
We cannot stress enough that the chemical restoration methods mentioned in this section
are best applied by professional restorers who are experienced with the chemicals and
their
effects. The various methods are mentioned here only to provide you with some
possibilities best explored with the professionals.
Conservators tell us that the leather covers, corners, and backs of our albums will benefit
from treatment with potassium lactate solution every two years to preserve the leather.
On
the other hand, cloth bound albums require little attention beyond the occasional dusting.
The best practice is to mount your philatelic materials on acid-free album pages.
END OF SUBSIDIARY PAGE 6
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