The use of enzymatic gels in the conservation treatment of Mendelssohn’s ‘Green Books’

This paper discusses the conservation treatment of the incoming correspondence of the German musician and composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847). It presents the challenges encountered during the conservation of this collection of letters, which were strongly adhered together and presented...

詳細記述

書誌詳細
主要な著者: Delattre, C, Bearman, J, Choi, YL, McPherson, L, Stiglitz, M
フォーマット: Conference item
言語:English
出版事項: ICOM-CC Publications 2023
その他の書誌記述
要約:This paper discusses the conservation treatment of the incoming correspondence of the German musician and composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847). It presents the challenges encountered during the conservation of this collection of letters, which were strongly adhered together and presented fugitive inks on delicate papers. After several trials and experiments, a tailored enzymatic treatment was developed to detach the letters from each other. The enzyme trypsin was incorporated into agarose gel and used to treat animal glue, whilst the enzyme α-amylase mixed with water, in tandem with humidification through Gore-Tex, was used to treat starch paste. The letters were then stabilised with a gelatine-coated remoistenable tissue and rehoused in archival folders, ready for digitisation.