Research and Specifications

Past Projects and Recent Publications

Platinum Palladium Photographic Ghost Image Research Project

NARA conservators and conservation scientists investigated a ‘ghostly’ phenomenon that occurs in some of NARA’s photographic records. Images that contain platinum or palladium metal can create detailed mirror images of the original image, called a ghost, on adjacent paper as a result of direct contact with the photograph. Platinum and palladium photographs are considered to be among the most permanent photographs, yet the common ghost image suggests that some reaction between the metal nanoparticles and cellulose, or cellulose degradation products, is occurring during aging. An accelerated aging procedure was developed that successfully created ghost images in the laboratory – this is believed to be the first time ghosts were formed in the lab. Historic photographs with their historic and lab created ghosts, as well as modern platinum photographs of various known recipes and processing conditions were studied to investigate the mechanism of the ghost image phenomenon. Various analytical techniques (FTIR, XRF, XPS, SEM, TOF-SIMS, DART) were explored in collaboration with scientists at neighboring institutions and other government agencies.  The NARA team presented their preliminary findings on this topic at the Platinum and Palladium Photography Symposium hosted by the Foundation of the America Institute for Conservation in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This research was published in Platinum and Palladium Photographs: Technical History, Connoisseurship and Preservation. Ed. C. McCabe, American Institute for Conservation (2017).

Heat and Solvent Set Repair Tissues

For decades, pre-coated heat and solvent set tissues have been the preferred method for mending certain types of library and archival materials due to their translucency and ability to be used without introducing moisture. In recent years, the adhesives long used to make these tissues became unavailable. Recently, the National Archives and Library of Congress conducted a multi-year, interagency collaboration to research new heat and solvent set repair tissues to give conservators more tools in their ever changing toolkit.

In summary, prepared tissues were applied to substrates using both solvent and heat set methods, which then analyzed using a variety of analytical testing techniques, to determine: color change,  reversibility after artificial aging, ‘blocking’ after natural aging and under pressure;  adhesives' interactions with silver-based photographic materials was also considered.  The findings showed that the method of application - heat or solvent - did not affect aging or testing results. The Avanse/Plextol tissues failed the color change tests. Several of the Lascaux 498 HV and Lascaux 303 HV dilutions passed testing, and the Aquazol 200 and 500 tissues passed testing.

The joint testing of a variety of pre-coated tissues made with Lascaux 498 HV, Lascaux 303 HV, Avanse MV-100, Plextol B500, Aquazol 200, and Aquazol 500. A comprehensive report on this work is forthcoming.

Recent Publications: Research and Testing

Barrett, T., Ormsby, M., Shannon, R. Schilling, M. Mazurek, J., Wade, J.  Bruckle, I. Lang, J. White, J., “Non-Destructive Analysis of 14th–19th Century Papers,”The Book and Paper Group Annual, 29 (2010).

Barrett, T.  Ormsby, M., Lang, J. "Non-destructive analysis of 14th–19th century European handmade papers," Restaurator  International Journal for the Preservation of Library and Archival Material 37, no. 2 (2016): 93-135.

Herrmann, J. Shpargel, J. Varga, L. “The Phenomenon of Platinum Print Image Transfer to Adjacent Papers Platinum” in Palladium Photographs: Technical History, Connoisseurship, and Preservation, C. McCabe, ed. (Washington, DC: American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 2017) 232- 249.

Kelly, K.  Herrmann, J., Chipman, A, Davis, A., Khan, Y.  Loew, S.  Morrison Danzis, K. Ohanyan, T.  Varga, L., Witty, A.  Youket, M.  Heat and Solvent Set Repair Tissues Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (submitted Autumn 2019)

Ormsby, M.  “Experiments with Reducing Energy Use at the National Archives”, Indoor Air Quality Conference 2016 – Heritage Research to Conservation Practice, Birmingham, http://iaq.dk/iap/iaq2016.

Ormsby, M.  ‘’Pollutant monitoring in archival storage areas using a modified solid-phase microextraction fiber’’ Indoor Air Quality Conference 2006, Braunsweig, Germany.  http://iaq.dk/iap/iaq2006/Ormsby_IAQ2006.pdf

Ormsby, M. Johnson, J. Heald, S. Chang, L., Bosworth J. “ Investigation of solid-phase micro-extraction sampling for organic pesticide residues on museum collections." Collection Forum, 20: 1-2 (2006), 1-12.

Ormsby, M. "Analysis of laminated documents using solid-phase micro-extraction." Journal of the American Institute for Conservation 44, 1 (2005): 13-26.

Varga, L. Herrmann, J. Ludwig, K., “Heat-Set Tissue: Finding a Practical Solution of Adhesives.” The Book and Paper Group Annual, American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works, 34, (2015) 34, 113-117