GUIDELINES FOR THE CURATION OF GEOLOGICAL MATERIALS

3.8.1.4. Repair
3.8.1.5. Binding
The storage of large maps not fitting into available drawers must be given
special attention and care. They may be folded once or even twice but not
cross-folded since the map is likely to break at the cross fold. As with
manuscripts, the fold should not be through anything of importance. Maps that
have been folded should never be rolled. Maps that have always been rolled
should usually be kept so, since flattening frequently causes them to crack at
intervals. Large flat maps that cannot be folded should be rolled round the
outside of a strong cardboard tube, covered by good quality paper, and then
protected by an outer layer. Prints, of course, should never be folded. Specialist
advice is obtainable from the British Museum, Department Prints and Drawings,
or the India Office Library & Records Department.
The repair of books, manuscripts, archives, maps, prints and drawings is
something which cannot and should not be carried out without special knowledge,
skill and training. When in doubt seek advice (see Preamble to C3.8).
Geological collections commonly contain maps, so it is worth mentioning two
points. Maps before 1850 (i.e. before the introduction of lithography) should be
traditionally repaired and not laminated. Since most maps will be on acid paper
they will need to be deacidified if they are to be preserved in the long term. This
should be carried out using non-aqueous deacidifying agent, since the scale will
be stretched if the map is wetted. Some basic principles of general repair are:
As far as possible replace missing material with repair materials of the same
kind, e.g. paper with paper, parchment with parchment.
Leave the nature and extent of the repair unmistakably evident.
Never do anything which cannot be undone without damage to the original
material, e.g. do not use self-adhesive tapes on anything, because it is a
non-reversible process and they are damaging to many materials.
The following provide both interesting and useful information on repair work:
B.S.I. BS 4971 1973; the journal 'Restaurator'; Plumbe (1964) and Cunha
(1971) (in which see particularly p. 241 of Vol. I where Roger Ellis's
'. . .principles of archive repairs. . .' are reproduced).
For the binding of books see Horton (1969) and Middleton (1972). For other
material, such as runs of journals etc., advice can be obtained from the major
museums or the British Library or suitable binding firms such as Dunn and
Wilson.
3.8.2. Photographic materials
Photographic materials including netatives, various types of prints, transparencies
and other forms of copy such as microfilms, fiche and photocopies, will all
deteriorate with time and so present problems of storage and conservation. There
is no clear official distinction between archival and non-archival materials so we
recommend that the criterion of repeatability be applied. Thus special care should
be taken of prints with no original negatives and also of negatives or transparencies
of subjects no longer available for rephotography. It is good practice to
make copy negatives of unique prints from which working prints can be made.