In a message dated 7/4/2007 9:54:47 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:


Date: 21 Jun 2007
From: Rose Kelly <rose.kelly [at]  dcalni__gov__uk>
Subject: Book damaged by cola spill

Advice is  sought on a volume which has been damaged by a spill of
Cola. The Cola  had been spilt over two pages of the volume close to
the spine towards  the top end of the leaves. Some of the liquid
appears to have seeped into  the top guttering of the volume and the
splash marks are a brownish  hue.

It is evident that the liquid has not fully penetrated the  surface
of the paper (this may be due to the fact that the paper appears  to
be of good quality with a high size content If only she'd  told us the
high five content ), although slight  cockling Thank God it's only slight is 
evident around  the main spill area.

The Iron Gall ink in the main area of staining  seems to have faded
considerably. This story goes from bad to  worse

Examination under the microscope revealed some loss  and abrasion of
the top layers of the paper fibres in the area of the  spill. Perhaps
this may have resulted from attempts to dry off the  spillage. It evidently 
didn't occur to Ms. Kelly that the  "reader" may have been furiously trying to 
erase the page (maybe s/he was  sanding it in preparation for a ne coat of 
paint?)  when the Cola  spill occurred.
Examination of the faded areas showed that some  of the ink-bearing
fibres had been completely removed from the surface of  the paper. This 
changes everything. Now I'm upset,  too.

pH tests of non contaminated areas measured 7.5 on  average. The
non-contaminated areas measured 7 on average. All I  can say is "wow."

If anyone has dealt with a volume which  has sustained similar damage 
in the past your thoughts and advice would  be welcome. My entire library had 
 Guinness spilled on every  page of every volume.  Do you think she may have 
run across that  problem?

Rose Kelly
Archive Conservator
Public  Record
Office for Northern Ireland
66 Balmoral Avenue
Belfast BT6  6NY

A safe, sane and glorious Fourth to all.
 
Ralph 



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