Wallace Nutting Library - How To Clean Hand Colored Photographs

Wallace Nutting Library

How To Clean and Stabilize Your Hand-Colored Photograph
If you would like to preserve and protect the hand-colored photographs hanging on your wall here is some information you may find helpful. Keep in mind that this cleaning and stabilization work is not for the faint of heart but it is not all that difficult either. If you take your time and pay attention to detail you should end up with a framed photograph that is clean, sealed and ready to face another century of environmental contaminants.
While there may be other photograph cleaning agents on the market the product I've used successfully for over twenty years is Lineco, Inc Archival Quality Document Cleaning Pad. It is a dry super soft grit free powder in a sealed pad. When you Squeeze and twist the pad the cleaning agent is forced through the meshes and adheres to the cloth. You then rub the photograph and mat with the pad to remove surface dirt and dust. Note that Lineco Archival Document Cleaning Pad will not remove water stains or other imbedded dirt but only surface dirt. You will have a sense of the dirt and dust that is being removed by the color change of the cleaning agent. When first applied it is white in color and when you are finished cleaning it will likely be a darker tone of gray from bonding with the dirt being removed. The more surface dirt you remove the darker the cleaning agent will become.
You can purchase a Lineco Document Cleaning Pad directly from University Products, The Archival Company. Or you can do a search on the internet for Lineco Document Cleaning Pad where you will find several resellers. It can be purchased for less then $10 plus shipping. Based on my experience one Document Cleaning Pad will clean more than one-hundred average size photographs and mats.
You must be very careful not to snag the corners of the photograph or mat. They are very old and brittle and will break off easily. I always apply the cleaning pad from the center to the edges to prevent snagging of the corners. If you are patient and careful you shouldn't cause any damage. If you are not of a patient and careful nature this task is not for you and you should find a framing shop that will do this work for you.

*Tools Needed*
	The following is a list of the tools you will need to disassemble, clean and re-assemble a framed photograph. Having several frames to open and clean may justify the cost of purchasing some of these tools. In particular the framer's point gun can cost upwards of $50.
Tape measure. Pliers to remove the tacks holding the mat and cardboard backing in the frame. Glass cleaner, razor blade in safety holder and paper towels to clean the glass. Sanding block and fine sandpaper for cleaning the back of the frame. Soft bristle brush for dusting cleaning agent off of the photograph and mat. Framer's point gun for securing photograph/mat and new backboard in the frame. Elmers glue or similar product for gluing a new dust cover to the back of the frame. Neutral PH water soluble glue for re-attaching existing framer's label to the new dust cover.
Materials available at a local craft store that you may need to purchase to properly complete this project are: Document Cleaning Pad or similar cleaning agent. Acid free back board. Kraft paper dust cover. Eye hooks and hanging wire only if existing eye hooks and wire is not re-usable.

*Step 1:* *Dis-assemble the unit*
Establish a work area that is free flowing and will provide a clean, solid work surface. I cover my work table with a painter's canvas to catch debris and insulate the frame and glass from the work table. An old bed sheet will work just as well. Provide sufficient work clearances at every step to minimize the risk of damage to the dis-assembled pieces.

If there is any remnant of a dust cover that contains written information or a framer's label it should be removed and put in a safe place so that it can be transposed to the new dust cover. More about how to remove a framer's or retailer's label from the old dust cover and re-apply it to a new dust cover in step 4.

Carefully remove the nails holding the cardboard backing in place. I use a pair of needle nose pliers to grasp the pins but any pliers you are comfortable with will work. A slight side to side movement and the pins can easily be pulled free of the frame. Remove and discard the old acidic back board. It should be replaced with a new acid free back board in the re-assembly stage. For now make note of the measurements. With all of the pieces removed from the frame they should be put in a safe place until each is called to the work table.

Step 2:
Record markings

First examine the photograph and mat for studio markings. As the illustration to the right shows you should be able to hold the mat upside down and allow the bottom of the photograph, which is now on top, to drift away from the mat revealing the back side of the photograph. If there are any markings make note of them as they help to authenticate the photograph. Markings may include a stamp showing the date of production; a numeric code identifying the studio where the photograph was produced; the studio number assigned to this photograph which also identifies the title given the photograph; the colorist who colored the photograph, and the head colorist who approved the quality of the art work and signed Wallace Nutting's name on the mat.

Since these markings were applied once to each sheet of photographic paper exposed and colored it is understood that an 11" x 14" photographic sheet exposed to produce twenty 2" x 3" miniature photographs would only have one set of markings scattered across the back. It is unlikely that any of the 2" x 3" miniature photographs would contain anything decernable. Photographs in the 4" x 6" and 5" x 7" range were made two or four images to a sheet and may have studio markings intact on one of the photographs only if the markings were concentrated to one part of the sheet. Almost all photographs 8" x 10" or larger were made on a single photographic sheet and would be expected to have studio markings. These studio markings provide valuable information to identify and authenticate many unrecorded titles. Any information found on the back of the photograph or mat should be noted on the new dust cover for the benefit of future generations.

*Step 3:* *Clean the photograph and mat*
Since I have always used the Lineco, Inc., Archival Quality Document Cleaning Pad that is what I will describe in this article. Use whatever brand you choose but be sure to read and follow the instructions that come with it.
When I use the term 'rub' or 'rubbing' it should be understood that very little pressure is required to clean the photograph and mat. Just gentle contact between the cleaning pad and the photo/mat should be enough. Let the cleaning agent do the work for you. Lineco, Inc., Document Cleaning Pad will remove dirt and dust and clean moldy papers. It is non-smearing, not-abrasive and grit free. My experience is that the cleaning pad will not remove water stains or imbedded dirt. It will restore lustre to a dirty photograph. Lay the photograph and mat on a flat solid surface. Take the cleaning pad in both hands about 6 to 12 inches above the photograph. Squeeze and twist the pad allowing the powder to sift through the meshes and adhere to the cloth. Some cleaning agent will fall onto the photograph and mat. This is okay. Now use the cleaning pad to gently rub the photograph. You must be extremely careful not to snag the corners of the photograph. The photograph is old and brittle and the corners will break off if snagged. When cleaning a larger photograph I generally use a soft circular motion in the center of the photograph and work my way to straight rubs from center to the edges. I generally clean small photographs by just rubbing in one direction away from the corners. Apply the same method and caution when cleaning the mat again being careful not to snag any corners of the photograph or mat.
When you are satisfied that the photograph and mat are as clean as they can be lift the piece in one hand and with a soft brush dust the cleaning agent debris from the photograph and mat. Do not use a cloth for this procedure as the cloth may snag the corners of the photograph. When completely cleaned place the mat and photograph face up in an area where it will not collect dust or get damaged.
*Clean the glass*
Whether you should re-use the old glass or replace it with new UltraViolet (UV) filtering glass is a matter of choice. Some collectors are purist and want their framed unit to be as original as possible. Others believe that the only real important element is the photograph and mat and that they should be protected first and foremost. If you decide to re-use the old glass it must be thoroughly cleaned. I like to take a razor blade in a safety holder and scrape each side of the glass while it is saturated with glass cleaner. In this way I am certain to remove any imbedded dirt or paint splatter that has built up over the last century. After the glass is clean and dry place it on top of the matted photograph to prevent dust infiltration between the glass and photograph. Be certain it is in an area where it will not be damaged.
*Clean the back of the frame*
Again, I place a painter's canvas on my work table to insulate the frame from the table and to catch any debris that is created. You must remove all traces of the old dust cover to prepare the wood to accept new glue. This is essential to keep airborne dust and other environmental contaminants from infiltrating into the frame. To remove old dust cover paper from the frame use a sanding block and fine sandpaper. It doesn't take very much pressure to remove the old paper. Be certain to sand all of the wood surface clean of the old glue residue so that the wood frame will absorb the new glue. Wipe the frame clean with a damp paper towel to remove the dust created from the sanding. Examine the front of the frame. If it needs any attention this is the time to do it. You can touch-up minor dings and scratches to the finish with furniture touch-up pens available in the frame department of most craft stores or in the paint and stain department of building supply stores. They come in all shades of colors to match mahogany, maple, oak, gold tone or whatever finish your frame may be. You've made it this far. Now it's time to re-assemble the frame unit.

Step 4:
Re-assemble the complete unit

This is the most critical part of the project. The few times where I have broken the glass of a frame it was always at this stage of the project. Take the time to make certain that your work area is clean and that you are not being hurried. Many times I have sealed a frame only to turn it over and see a spec of dust on the photograph or mat. Attention here will save you grief later.

Place the frame face down on your work table. If you plan on re-using the same holes that the original eye hooks were screwed into be sure that they are in the up position. Place the glass in the frame followed by the matted photograph and the acid free back board. Secure these in place with framers points. If you are using a framer's gun to insert points keep in mind that you won't need to excert a lot of pressure. But, be extremely careful not to press on the butt side of the framer's gun as you will be applying pressure to the center of the glass and will surely break it. Keep all of the pressure on the nose of the framer's gun which is resting on the wood frame. You don't need to apply a lot of pressure to the gun. Just hold it firmly.

Seal the frame

If you are re-using the existing holes for the eye screws make note of where they are. Apply the glue with a small brush. Apply just enough to keep the project wet until the dust cover is applied but not so much that it oozes out when you apply the dust cover. Gently press the dust cover against the wood to insure that it is in total contact with the frame. You should have about 15 minutes before the glue sets up so you will have sufficient time to smooth out the dust cover. Keep a damp rag handy to clean up any glue that will get on the frame or on the work table. With the dust cover in place and while the glue is still wet press your finger where the eye screw holes are and you will see a small dimple exactly where the holes are. At this point take a needle or small brad and stick it in each dimple revealing the hole for the eye hooks. After the glue and dust cover have dried install the eye hooks and hanging wire. It doesn't matter if you use the existing eye hooks and hanging wire or new material. As long as the hanging system is structurally sound.

*Re-apply framer's label*

If there was a Nutting Studio label or retailer's label on the old dust cover that you set aside for transplanting to the new dust cover here is what you can do to re-apply it.
Place it on a plate and add about one ounce or so of water. Not so much water that the label floats but enough to saturate the old dust cover causing the water to leach into the label.
After a few minutes you should be able to remove the label from the paper. If it is not seperating easily allow it to stand on the water a bit longer. Once seperated place the label *face down* on a paper towel to dry.
When the label is completely dry apply a neutral PH water soluble glue to the back and attach the label to the new dust cover. Neutral PH glue will not acidify the label and water soluble glue is reversable so that it can be removed again, if necessary, by future generations.
If there was any information on the old dust cover or markings on the back of the photograph or mat that you want to record on the new dust cover you can do so either by writing it directly on the new dust cover or by typing it onto a sheet of paper and gluing this paper to the new dust cover. Make note of the preservation work you did and the date that it was completed. Future generations will appreciate your efforts. Your prized collection is now ready to survive another century and will be admired and treasured for generations to come.

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