I think this is an interesting article that highlights the occasional
conflict between conservation and use. See the complete article at
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=59876
Massacring history? State puts Revere plates in jeopardy
By Jack Meyers
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Priceless engravings crafted by Paul Revere are being jeopardized by
Secretary of State William Galvin, according to experts, all for the sake
of a $200,000 fund-raiser for a state agency.
``There's no question about the fact that the surface will be altered
by this'' reprinting process, said MIT professor of archaeology Heather
Lechtman, regarding three irreplaceable works created by the Revolutionary
War hero.
The engraved copper plates have been polished and are now being
subjected to pressure to make 500 new prints. They will soon be dipped in
an acid bath to remove electroplating - a process that some experts said
will degrade the surface and affect the historic artifacts' integrity.
[stuff deleted]
Galvin's spokesman and the printer producing the new images said the
process will have little to no effect on the state-owned artifacts. Others
disagree.
``Every single time an impression is made (of any plate), in a very
subtle way the image is degraded,'' said Elizabeth Barker, associate
curator of drawings and prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
She did not criticize Galvin's decision to ``re-strike'' prints from
the antique plates, but she said, ``It's something we might be more
hesitant to do now.''
[stuff deleted]
However, Lechtman said, ``The acid attack itself will alter the
surface of the metal. It will dissolve some of the copper.''
David Blanchfield, conservator of objects and metals at Colonial
Williamsburg, said, ``The harshest thing that ever touches any of our
metals is chalk.''
Brian McNiff, spokesman for Galvin, said every possible effort has
been taken to eliminate or minimize any impact on the metal engravings.
[stuff deleted]
Brian McNiff, spokesman for Secretary of State William Galvin, who
authorized the ``re-striking'' of prints from the plates to raise money for
the state archives, said the two plates are valued at $1 million each.
end
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Susan Cronin Ruderman, Ed.M., Vice President
VERITAS INFORMATION SERVICES, 9 Alton St., Arlington, MA 02474
(781) 643-7811; (781) 643-1136 (fax); <[log in to unmask]>
Fundraising Research Consulting; www.veritasinfo.com
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