Kevin,
During the time the Professional Picture Framer's Association was drawing
up _Guidelines for Mounting Works of Art on Paper_ I was the conservation
representative to their Guild, and as such, was instrumental in developing
the concept that there is a range of options within which picture framers
may reasonably operate; i.e., it is not necessary to hinge/frame each and
every item to museum standards.

The conservationally sound information which you have "culled out" of their
publication was hammered out during a weekend-long meeting between myself
and other members of the Board of Directors, after months of
correspondence.

Subsequently, the Library of Congress published their guidelines.

During this time (mid-1980's) I taught a number of workshops for picture
framers at the R&D Framing School in Ft. Collins, Colorado.  During the
first day of the workshops I would make a batch of wheat starch paste (not
as easy a mile high as at sea level; vapor pressure makes a difference!)
and attach a small hinge of Japanese paper to one corner of a 30" X 40"
sheet of 4-ply mat board.  After the adhesive had dried, I stapled the
other end of the hinge to the wall behind me.  During the next three days
of the workshop the mat board remained attached to the hinge.

During this time I also produced two videotapes about mounting
art-on-paper:  _Museum Mounting: A Primer_ and _Dave's Pond: Mounting an
Oversize Watercolor_

Information about these two videotapes is available on my web page, under
Istor Productions.  There is also a short article about mounting
art-on-paper which explains how I make paste and use it.

These efforts of mine are certainly not the last word in this matter, but
they have worked for more than 20 years.

What it boils down to is use the smallest number of the smallest hinges
possible, occupying the smallest possible amount of the back of the
art-on-paper, and leave the paper room to move as temperature/relative
humidity changes.  The decision about how many hinges to use and their size
is up to the preparator.

A guideline?  If the frame falls to the floor, the hinges should break,
allowing the art to slide down in the mat/frame.  If hinges tear out pieces
of the art, they were too wide, too deep, and the adhesive was too strong.

While I am willing to accept that it is technically possible to write the
set of specifications which you requested, I do not believe that it will
done in our lifetime.  It would be VERY time consuming.  And it is not
necessary.

Jack


>Date:    Mon, 16 Dec 1996 11:41:58 -0500
>From:    Kevin Gene Canze <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: hinging artworks on paper
>
>Does anyone on the list know of a publication of guidelines for hinging
>works of art on paper?
<Snip>
>I've been wondering if there is any literature with quantitative
>guidelines for >hinge size, number, placement or weight.
<Snip>
>I am familiar with a couple of "professional picture framers'" handbooks
>and have culled out the information I know is conservationally sound.
>What I hope to find is a resource for mounting works on paper akin
>to the National Gallery's ART IN TRANSIT workshop materials for
>transporting paintings or RCAAM's Soft packing workshop.

Jack C. Thompson
Thompson Conservation Lab.
7549 N. Fenwick
Portland, OR  97217

503/735-3942  (voice/fax)      "The lyf so short; the craft so long to learn."
                                                               Chaucer,  1386
www.teleport.com/~tcl/