** Thanks, Mike. Yes, but it was all Carol. If paper-backing was in the equation, I would've said NO. The thing I couldn't get over was Carol Tincup was extremely confident about the outcome. I had to be talked off the cliff several times. It's obvious she had done this many times before and that after 30 years, you get better at it. There's knowledge and there's skill. I like to KNOW what's being done -- but I do NOT have the skill. A restorer has to have both, but skill varies from person to person. Even Carol admitted that after many years (she began her career working on restoring old photos), a lot of trial-and-error practice is involved in perfecting your craft - so that by the present day, you're not only better at studying problems, you excel at solving them, always finding better techniques to keep restoration minimally invasive. Carol studied my posters and the potential steps required to rescue them, and then turned into a surgeon without cutting open the chest, so to speak. That's amazing. There are many fine restorers out there. I appreciate what you do. What was kismet in my case was Carol reached out to me with do-it-yourself solutions. Forget that, I'm not a craftsman. Had she not reached out, I was resigned to accepting things as they were. I'd never worked with her before and her confidence and convictions were contagious.
** Now, do I consider both posters "restored?" Yes and no. Working on the backs of both posters felt more like a big repair job than a restoration. The irony is while Carol's efforts were labor intensive -- I now own two posters that have the "look and feel" of unrestored posters. If I ever sold them, I would disclose that both posters were previously folded but were professionally flattened. I wouldn't have to say they were painted or paper-backed. Amazing. Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:25:30 -0700 From: [email protected] Subject: Re: "Lawrence," BEFORE & AFTER - Why restorers remain vital to our hobby. To: [email protected] Very impressive results. The "botox needle" is fascinating. Removing dry mount is a most unenviable task and it looks like Carol did a splendid job! I really like the choices that were made in bringing these pieces back. Pov May the holes in your collection be filled. --- On Sat, 7/24/10, David Kusumoto <[email protected]> wrote: From: David Kusumoto <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [MOPO] "Lawrence," BEFORE & AFTER - Why restorers remain vital to our hobby. To: [email protected] Date: Saturday, July 24, 2010, 7:13 PM Thanks to everyone for their private and public messages about my early morning post re: my two "Lawrence" window card posters. ** About "strengthening the fold lines" on my posters and making them near invisible: The "heavy lifting" was done on the BACKS of both posters, NOT the front. Carol stressed she didn't like to touch the FRONT because that risks damaging the color integrity of the displayed image. The work was truly "keyhole surgery" as Phil describes, e.g., not only did she pry off the dry mounted form core in pieces, which took forever, she had to clean the back carefully and then use what I humorously call an extremely thin "botox" needle to inject a fine liquid into the BACK fold. This could have been a glue or starch, I don't know. This part also took a lot of skill and patience. The main thing is that when it dries and is pressed, it strengthens the previously weakened paper fibers on the fold lines. The poster comes out sturdy. And yet the back fold line is as smooth to the touch as the front. I love the fact that the most critical work was done to the back, not the front. I think the work would've been less labor intensive if it had been immersed in liquid and paper-backed, but that's not what Carol nor I wanted. ** And - YES! Both posters are already framed and hanging side-by-side! The UV plexi frames were built by Sue Heim of course! (See below.) You all saw the "before" images. I thought my situation was hopeless. It's wonderful to be proven wrong. -d. Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 21:19:31 +1000 From: [email protected] Subject: Re: "Lawrence," BEFORE & AFTER - Why restorers remain vital to our hobby. To: [email protected] The poster restoration equivalent of keyhole surgery. Those posters are going to look great framed side be side! Phil ----- Original Message ----- From: David Kusumoto To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, July 24, 2010 8:53 PM Subject: [MOPO] "Lawrence," BEFORE & AFTER - Why restorers remain vital to our hobby. ** Several weeks ago, I posted images on MoPo of a squashed Lawrence of Arabia Oscars window card that a seller sent un-protected in a Priority Mail triangle box. Shortly after that post, a MoPo member reached out to me, armed with confidence and loads of sage advice... ** The person who "reached out" to me on MoPo was Carol Tincup of Orange, CA (714.289.8630). Carol has been working with paper for more than 30 years. I had never used her services before and I only chose to do so because after she saw images of my squashed Lawrence Oscars poster, she e-mailed me, offering non-invasive solutions I could try on my own. As a result of this "outreach," I picked up the phone and said "no way am I going to do this by myself" - and I asked her to work on the poster above -- and then asked her about a second, way more valuable "Lawrence" roadshow camel-style WC (below) that I had just received that had been permanently dry mounted onto foam core (NOT spray mounted, which would have been an easier job); Carol was supremely-confident she could pry off the dry mount in pieces without tearing, curling or wrinkling the poster or scorching its colors - strengthening and minimizing the fold line with an extremely thin application of some type of gluey substance on the back - before heat pressing the poster flat -- all without airbrushing and without linen- or paper-backing! Until I spoke to her, I had NO intention of letting anyone TOUCH the poster. I was intent on leaving the poster "as is." But her confidence was reassuring. The "before" picture below has a yellowish cast because it was taken indoors under tungsten light. The "after" picture was taken outdoors, under natural light on the floor of my covered patio. Note the visible fold line in the "before" picture. ** Note that Carol's work was labor intensive but minimally invasive, more like a remove-and-repair-and-clean job than a full restoration. On the "camel" poster, note the back. The fold line is still there, nothing is hidden. But this poster is no longer weak along the fold line; the poster has the weight and feel of sturdy card stock from 1962 - without paper backing of any kind. The fold line on the front is now FLAT. It disappears and re-appears amid the colors when you put your eyes within 2-3 inches of the poster, but at a normal viewing distance, it's gone. Carol achieved the same results with my formerly squashed "Oscars" poster. I am not kidding, you now have to LOOK HARD for the fold lines on both posters. I cannot even feel them when I run my fingers over them. ** My point is the craftsmanship of restorers has wonderfully evolved from the "dipped in paint" days of the 70s, 80s and 90s. While unrestored paper is always preferred, so long as the world's best museums continue to preserve paper that might otherwise turn to dust and lost forever -- there will always be a need for restoration / preservation craftsmen. I used to be flatly told that removing dry mount from a poster was impossible. (It might still be very risky for something like a one-sheet, I don't know.) But this was the first time I had ever OK'd the removal of a poster that I believed was "permanently" dry-mounted to foam core. I was extremely nervous about it. Now that it's over, I'm obviously happy with the results and with the quality of Carol's work -- and naturally, I wanted to share them with the group. -d. 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