Re: Cleaning of Stereoviews

[P3D Sam Smith <3dhacker@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 09:24 AM 28/5/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Bert van Dijk asked about cleaning of stereoviews.
>
>A six part article on preservation and restoration 
>of images was published in STEREO WORLD
>in the mid 1980s.  Written by Christine Young it 
>covered almost everything you would want to know 
>about this subject.


Almost, but still the main point should be this: DON'T ATTEMPT IT IF YOU
DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!!!  This is why I'm against advice like this
without the appropriate warnings.

The main point I was trying to make before is that a slightly dirty print is
a lot better than one that has been permanently damaged by cleaning. You
must BE SURE you know exactly what type of image you are cleaning before you
make any attempt to remove the dirt. Darrah's and other books on the subject
can make the differences more clear. When you know you are working with, the
next step is a SPOT TEST. This means trying out a small area, usually on a
corner, to see how the photo reacts to the cleaning.If the results are
favorable, continue with caution.

Another point missed was the effect of using a water-based cleaner on an
abrasion or crack, especially when there is dirt on the surface. Swabbing
across this will make the dirt absorb into the emulsion and backing, which
is usually permanent. In a highlight for example, you'll have a nice white
surface with a not so nice dark streak across it at the point the dirt was
absorbed into the print. It is then you realize the slightly dirty highlight
before cleaning was not that bad after all!

Experiment with junk prints first, and leave your more valued prints as they
are until you've either gained experience, or seek the advice of those with
the training.


sam


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