P3D Re: Showing work at gallery

["Greg Wageman" <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

From: Stuart Stiles <sstiles@xxxxxxx>


>    For discussion purposes, here is an initial question that is posed
for
>gallery exhibits.  How can valuable, original antique cards be
exhibited
>without exposing them to contact damage that might be produced by
handling?


The trite answer is: "Copy them".  High-quality photographic or digital
copies can be easily and cost-effectively made and allow the originals
to be preserved under archival conditions.

But, that answer doesn't deal with the original question.  If you
stipulate that copies are unacceptable, then I would look for an
enclosed cabinet device with a rotary or belt transport mechanism.
(Several types of these devices were produced around the
turn-of-the-century as arcade entertainment devices.)   Assuming that
the transport mechanism itself doesn't damage the cards, this will
obviate the need for manual handling of them.  The trick, of course,
would be in finding such a device, or in having a reproduction made to
order.  You could then go as far as needed to control the environment
inside the device, including temperature and humidity controls,
ultraviolet filtering, etc.

     -Greg W. (gjw@xxxxxxxxxx)





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