I'm looking for ideas on how to care for a mine claim document (1927) that is folded and kept in a tobacco tin.

 

The actual object isn't directly related to the CCC. It was donated by a CCC'er who stated that while enrolled in the CCC in Wyoming, he had stolen the document (from a nearby assayer's office), and he had kept it in the tin since then.

 

The tin is rusted and the document is brittle. I've kept the document in the tin and on rare occasions, I'll take it out of the display case to show kids what a mine claim document looks like. I tell them that it had been stolen by a young man who was enrolled in the CCC. The name of it is the, 'Pick and Lode #2'  a good size claim...300' deep and 1000' long, as stated on the document. Since the claim is for a gold mine, I made up a little story about how I'd like to go out there to find the location of the claim to get the gold, etc. I love watching how their eyes grow big as they consider the possibilities.

 

But even for the dozen or so times I've carefully removed the document from the tin to do this, has taken a toll on the paper. If I were to keep it in the tin, I'd probably line the inside of the tin with pH neutral paper and make a copy of the document to place next to the tin, in the display case. This takes away from the mystique of removing the tin from the case to show the kids what's inside.

 

Your thoughts? Thanks!

 

Pam