UNCLASSIFIED Hi Suzanne, Here at the National Archives of Australia, when we come across fading, darkening or otherwise deteriorating thermal copies (including old faxes), we photocopy them onto archival paper, playing with contrast and brightness until we get a decent, readable image. The original/s is/are placed in a polyethylene bag and replaced on the file with the copy (as our rules state that we must not destroy original material unless there are exceptional circumstances). The modern, thermally-fused toner on archival paper is considered to be an acceptably long-term combination. Hope this helps!
Prue McKay Senior Conservator, Exhibitions, Projects and Loans Preservation t +61 2 6212 6220 e [email protected] 30 Vicars Street, Mitchell ACT 2911 PO Box 4924 Kingston ACT 2604 | naa.gov.au We acknowledge and pay our respects to the traditional custodians of this land and celebrate their ongoing culture and contribution to society. Dear Cons Dist, I am advising on a personal correspondence from between 1970 - 1997 which includes faded typed faxes. They are either kept loose within this personal archive or in plastic folders, in a University Library in Johannesburg, South Africa. Looking at egs at random a 1996 eg the type of when received is still legible but the typed text is faded. Questions: How best to store them? And how best, time wise, to make a transcription of the text. I found with some, placed over a transmitting flat light pad one can read the type. With a UV torch that light strengthened the faded type to read more easily. Suzanne Press Suzanne Press & Associates Ltd Conservation of Works of Art on Paper Suzanne Press ACR Georgian House, 10 Bury Street, Flat 14, London SW1Y 6AA w: 02079 305725 m: 07831 538647 e: [email protected] www.suzannepress.com <[email protected]> UNCLASSIFIED ________________________________ If you have received this transmission in error please notify us immediately by return e-mail and delete all copies. If this e-mail or any attachments have been sent to you in error, that error does not constitute waiver of any confidentiality, privilege or copyright in respect of information in the e-mail or attachments. ________________________________ ****** Unsubscribe by sending a message to [email protected] Searchable archives: http://cool.conservation-us.org/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/
