TOP SECRET restoration techniques

[FFB]

Interesting idea, perhaps like a logo or signature in an inconspicuous spot? Perhaps this could actually increase the value of a quality resto job.

 

No responsible conservator would do that. Their job is to conserve and/or recreate the original, not to sign their work for posterity.

[Mike's Rack]

That makes sense.

[Ze-man]

That said, what do you think most people are confused about when it comes to resto? I would think wet washing is among the biggest. So much of beneficial conservation is based on washing, on some level. But that is the ONE type of resto that can never be undone.

 

To me this goes against Professional work being defined as "materials used can be removed safely".

 

 

I don't think that is a proper definition of what constitutes professional restoration. It may be appropriate to apply that requirement to foreign material added to a comic (i.e., what you add should be reversible), but I don't think it makes sense to be dogmatic about it.

 

I have seen professional conservators replace iron gall ink where it is missing from historical documents. That is not going to be safely reversible because any solvent that could remove it will remove the original ink as well. And yet it is a technique used by professional conservators when restoring some historical documents. (Leave aside the debate as to whether a particular area of loss on a given document *should* be recreated.)

 

It also obviously does not apply to stain removal with organic solvents or water, nor does it apply to resizing a comic book. None of these things are safely reversible. Yet, all of these techniques are universally considered to be acceptable restoration/conservation techniques used by professional paper conservators worldwide.

 

Oh don't get me wrong. I actually said that in regards to what most people view as CGC's definition of what Professional resto means.

 

Not how I might define it. Which involves a lot more then just what materials were used, or if it can be reversed.

 

 

[FFB]

That said, what do you think most people are confused about when it comes to resto? I would think wet washing is among the biggest. So much of beneficial conservation is based on washing, on some level. But that is the ONE type of resto that can never be undone.

 

To me this goes against Professional work being defined as "materials used can be removed safely".

 

 

I don't think that is a proper definition of what constitutes professional restoration. It may be appropriate to apply that requirement to foreign material added to a comic (i.e., what you add should be reversible), but I don't think it makes sense to be dogmatic about it.

 

I have seen professional conservators replace iron gall ink where it is missing from historical documents. That is not going to be safely reversible because any solvent that could remove it will remove the original ink as well. And yet it is a technique used by professional conservators when restoring some historical documents. (Leave aside the debate as to whether a particular area of loss on a given document *should* be recreated.)

 

It also obviously does not apply to stain removal with organic solvents or water, nor does it apply to resizing a comic book. None of these things are safely reversible. Yet, all of these techniques are universally considered to be acceptable restoration/conservation techniques used by professional paper conservators worldwide.

 

Oh don't get me wrong. I actually said that in regards to what most people view as CGC's definition of what Professional resto means.

 

Not how I might define it. Which involves a lot more then just what materials were used, or if it can be reversed.

 

 

I know, we've discussed this before. I was agreeing with you on this issue (as I know you view it the same way), though on a second read of my post I see that it looked like I was saying that was your definition, not CGC's or the industry's.