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/