Parchment gallery

Conservation of a 17th century fire damaged document.

Parchment is very sensitive to temperature changes. Exposing it to even moderate heat (>40*C) can cause irreparable distortions and damages.

Heat causes the collagen fibres -of which animal skins such as parchment are made of- to collapse. Fibres which had been previously affected by mould, are even more vulnerable. Heat may cause them to liquefy to gelatine. At best they are left as gelatine patches; at worst there are just holes as with this document.

To conserve the document it is drycleaned and then humidified. Patches of new parchment and intestine leather are then applied with gelatine. The document is then flattened and left to dry on a stretching frame.