As a conservator with over ten years experience in the field I have seen postings like this recur like indigestion in the middle of the night. 

This is why I am so very reluctant to give our 'recipes" to anyone who is inexperienced with the proper use of chemicals or  knowledge of materials on objects.  If you are unsure about the safe use of a chemical like acetone, or do not know how to read an MSDS sheet, then just don't play with it until you educate yourself!

Well, now for the positive side of things.  There is an excellent article on labeling artifacts, written by Helen Alten in the ICOM Ethographic Newsletter:  no 17, April 1998  (ISSN  1036-6210)  pps. 18 - 21 .  This is the best, most concise, piece on labeling that I have ever seen!  Helen is great!  I will talk to Helen and see if it would be possible to get permission to distribute an xerox of her article - contact me off the list and let me know your regular postal address and I'll see what I can do to get this great info out to you. 

You can acquire the proper supplies via any of the conservation catalogs or some of the archival catalogs.  I even believe that I heard that someone has even put together a museum labeling kit that can be purchased too - perhaps someone on the list knows about that and would be kind enough to share that information.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Associate Conservator,
Metals & Arms
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
P.O. Box 1776
Williamsburg, Virginia  23187-1776  USA
Voice:   757-220-7039
E-mail:   [log in to unmask]

-----Original Message-----
From:   Ginger M. Young [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Friday, July 17, 1998 1:24 AM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Re: Artifact labeling

emily:

I am in a similar situation... i am being forced (practically) to use clear
finger nail polish instead of a pva ( i think that's correct??) solution.
ugh!  but i am doing the best i can.  I have used both pigma pens in the past
as well as ink and quill....  i don't recommend using the white out though!

What I was taught to do was to put a clear layer down first... let it dry ...
then the number... then another clear layer.  supposedly it is reversible that
way.

i also know that you must be careful w/ acetone.. i have worked with several
ppl who have been in the museum business for quite some time and feel that
they have health probs. related to handling acetone carelessly (as compared to
todays standards).

I'm sorry if I have not really given any answers.. it's very late right now
and perhaps when i have had some sleep I could actually look some of the stuff
up!  :)  but I hope this helps nonetheless ... good luck!

Sincerely,
  Ginger M. Young