Archival Digitization and Preservation ~ Manuscript

The OHS is the Town of Orleans largest repository of cultural artifacts, historic phtographs and archival records.
Preserving, digitizing and archiving is expected to take three years, 2010 - 2013. The Orleans Community Preservation Committee has granted funding for this project. Additional support for this project has come from the Hess and Helyn Klein Foundation. 
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Middle Latitude Sailing 
1781 Revolutionary War manuscript
Created by Isaac Snow of Orleans (then Eastham) 
while being held in England's "Old Mill Prison"

 

The sheet was tattered and torn with many losses along the edges, a dime-size loss at the center and a few small holes elsewhere. The loss at center had been crudely patched with a small piece of paper and scotch tape. 
Another tear within the sheet was also patched with a small piece of scotch tape. Both tapes had stained the paper. Previous folds had weakened the paper and it had begun to break. 
The manuscript was discolored overall with scattered local staining or “foxing” throughout. There was moderate surface soil.

 

[IMAGE Nautical-manuscript01]

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A written record of treatment was provided. Digital treatment images (high resolution JPEGS) were returned to the client on a disk. Surface soil was reduced as possible. “Scotch” tape was removed and adhesive residues were reduced with organic solvents on the suction disk. 
The sheet was briefly immersed in filtered water/ethanol to clean the paper and reduce acidity. It was alkalized [i.e. de-acidified] with calcium hydroxide in a water-ethanol solution. The sheet was backed with a very thin Japanese paper using wheat starch paste to provide overall support. This did not obscure the writing. The sheet was humidified and flattened between blotters. It was placed in a polyester L-sleeve for additional support when handling.

 

Document conservation by the 
Northeast Document Conservation Center [ LINK TO https://www.nedcc.org/index.php and linked LOGO to the right]