Non-aqueous Facing Methods in Paper Conservation – Part II: Application of a Facing on a Seventeenth Century Ink Drawing

Abstract This article describes the implementation of results from a test series exploring non-aqueous facing methods in paper conservation (Bedenikovic 2018). The lessons learnt during the systematic study of different materials and methods were applied in a real-life conservation situation, and findings from the test series could be complemented with observations made in practice. The case study will discuss the conservation of a seventeenth century drawing damaged by ink corrosion. The severely degraded, brittle paper had to be secured with a facing before it could be removed from the mounting board. Adhesives introduced during earlier treatments posed additional challenges during the conservation process. A facing made of Rayon, coated with 2.5 % Klucel®G in water and reactivated with 96 % ethanol stabilized the drawing effectively during treatment and could be easily removed without damaging the object’s surface or leaving residues behind.