At the Kill: Backing Removal of Photographs from an Album Page

TEMPORARY ID # 04-11
Date: 1/22/03

Owner/Custodian: Center for American History
Address: Sid Richardson Hall, The University of Texas at Austin
Curator: Linda Peterson
Telephone: 475-4385
Owner/Custodian Call No.: 3862
Title/Subject/Description: At the Kill – Album Page
Creator: [Miss Wille Drebrecht]
Date of Production: unknown
Place of Production: unknown
Approximate Dimensions (hxw): 6.70 x 9.38 inches (17.1 x 23.8 cm)
Conservator: Holly Robertson

TREATMENT PROPOSAL

Treatment Objective
To improve the physical and chemical stability stability of the photographs by removing them from the acidic and embrittled album page.

Description
General: Two collodion photographs are mounted on the recto and verso of an embrittled and acidic page from an album.

Media
Collodion binder layer and baryta layer:
The recto photograph has spots at the top and bottom right which appear to be carbon printing ink.

Graphite
A cataloguing annotation detailing the photograph number appears on the support at the top right on the recto side (photograph 1 - hunting group). Also on the recto side is a graphite slash at the bottom right corner of the photograph and the support. On the recto side of the photograph (photograph 2 – man with two dogs, horse, and dead deer), are two annotations: the title “At the Kill” and a name and address: “Miss Willie Drebrecht / 206 Dittman St.”

Primary Support
The photographs are developed on printing out paper and are mounted to a 40 pt. album page that has part of the cloth stub still attached. A piece of cellulose acetate tape repairs at tear at the top right of the verso and top left of the recto. The tape covers the top right and left corners of the verso and recto photographs.

Housing
The broadside is housed in polyester sleeve.

Condition
General: The collodion photographs are in fair condition with slight but customery indentures in the collodion binder layer revealing the baryta layer. The album page is highly embrittled and acidic. The cellulose acetate tape is discolored yellow yet shows no signs of embrittlement.

Media
Collodion binder layer and baryta layer:
The verso photograph (#1) is in good condition. A fingerprint is evident along the top about an inch from the top right corner. The graphite slash at the bottom of the page extends on to the photograph. A unidentified black spot, possibly a drop of carbon black ink, is at an inch to the right of the center of the photograph, and it has discolored the surrounding area.

Graphite
The graphite annotations are in good condition without signs of abrasion.

Primary Support
The album page is very brittle and yellowing. The top right verso corner is missing. There are five tack holes in the album page. The tape which repairs the tear is yellowed but not embrittled, and the adhesive has stained the album page.

TREATMENT PROPOSAL
Scan photographs
Identify photographic method by spot tests.
Separate photographs from album page by splitting the board
Mechanically remove pasteboard backing from photographs.
Mat or rehouse in polyester sleeves and 20 pt. folder
Total Treatment time: 2:00