Protecting Canadian Archival Heritage from the Hazards of Iron Gall Ink

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CCI Newsletter, No. 36, Fall 2005

Protecting Canadian Archival Heritage from the Hazards of Iron Gall Ink

by Season Tse, Senior Conservation Scientist, CCI

Iron gall inks were used extensively from antiquity until the beginning of the 20th century. The corrosive nature of the iron and acid in these indelible black inks now threatens to destroy paper collections in museums, galleries, and archives all over the world. Although documents created with this writing medium comprise only a small component of Canada's archival collections, they represent a large proportion of our early and irreplaceable archival records. These documents are essential to the understanding of the history of Canada, and it is critical that measures be taken to preserve them.

While the problem is acknowledged and there is active research and treatment development in Europe, little is known about the condition of Canadian collections. There is presently no tool to document where iron gall ink collections are located in Canada and/or benchmark the condition of these collections. However, anecdotal evidence and recent surveys suggest that they show varying degrees of deterioration: the majority are in stable condition but some collections, such as letterpress copybooks, have already suffered loss from ink corrosion while other items have suffered significant fading. This situation has presented CCI with a unique opportunity to make a significant positive impact on the preservation of early Canadian archival heritage.

In 2004, a collaborative project¹ was developed to raise awareness in the archival community about the risks associated with iron gall ink collections; to determine the locations, extent, and condition of these collections in Canadian archives; and to provide guidelines and training to conservators and collection managers on how to preserve them. The project has four components: research, a training workshop, a risk assessment survey, and publications.

Research

Research is focused on two areas: the effect of paper simmering, and the comparative effectiveness of currently used and newly developed aqueous treatments.

Paper simmering has been used for treating corroded iron gall ink manuscripts in some European libraries for several decades, and it was the treatment of choice for the McKay Sketchbook belonging to Library and Archives Canada (LAC). The details of this treatment and results from research on its effect on paper have already been published (see "Publications" below).

The effectiveness of aqueous treatments in preserving naturally aged iron gall ink documents was tested using nine original inked documents, dating from the mid to late 19th century (ca. 1841-1876), from a Canadian archive. Eighteen separate treatments were carried out, and selected treated samples were subjected to artificial aging. The results gave us new insights into how different treatments affect these relatively stable ink documents, and how the documents respond to heat, humidity, and light. These findings will be submitted to a scholarly publication and should be available in 2006.

Advanced Professional Development Workshop

A workshop was held February 21-23, 2005, at LAC's Gatineau Preservation Centre. For 3 days, 18 participants from across Canada and the United States enjoyed lectures and practical hands-on sessions, and received up-to-date information about iron gall ink history, chemistry, and research, as well as treatment options for iron gall ink documents and methods for risk assessment and collection survey. Following the workshop, participants could pass on this information to their institutions, colleagues, and students.

One significant outcome of the workshop and our research is that LAC and other conservation laboratories are now using calcium phytate as a routine treatment for iron gall ink documents.

Risk Assessment Model

Risk assessment is an effective means to identify and prioritize collections and/or individual items for appropriate attention before damage results in loss. Our collaborative project therefore includes the development of a survey form for archival collections based on a risk model for iron gall ink. When it is ready, it will be distributed to members of the archival community across the country. The data collected will provide valuable information about the type of iron gall ink documents in various archives, and their condition.

Publications

Some results of treatment and research have already been reported:

• Trojan-Bedynski, M., F. Kalbfleisch, S. Tse, and P.J. Sirois. "The Use of Simmering Water in the Treatment of a Nineteenth Century Sketchbook of Iron Gall Ink Drawings by James G. Mackay." Journal of the Canadian Association for Conservation 28 (2003), pp. 3-15.
  
  
• Tse, S., H. Hendry, P. Bégin, P.J. Sirois, and M. Trojan-Bedynski. "The Effect of Simmering on the Chemical and Mechanical Properties of Paper." Restaurator 26 (2005), pp. 14-35.

In addition to these publications, a series of articles will soon be prepared to inform archivists, librarians, and collectors of the nature of iron gall inks and the risks associated with them, as well as to provide some methods to identify iron gall inks and some strategies to treat and preserve documents created with this medium.

When complete, this project will help to ensure that an important part of Canada's archival heritage remains available to future generations of Canadians.

1. Partners and key contributors to this project currently include: Season Tse and Sherry Guild (both from CCI); Maria Trojan-Bedynski (from LAC); Harold Holland (from the Council of Archives of New Brunswick); Dr. Robert Waller (from the Canadian Museum of Nature); and Valeria Orlandini Dedecek (from the McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory in Oberlin, Ohio). The participation of provincial archival associations or other interested parties would be welcomed. For more information, please contact the author by telephone (613-998-3721 ext. 187) or by e-mail (season_tse@pch.gc.ca).

Harold Holland, Preservation Officer of the Council of Archives of New Brunswick, cites the following examples of documents created with iron gall ink that are important to the history of the Maritimes and, ultimately, to Canada. All of them belong to the Archives of the New Brunswick Museum. A collection of Benedict Arnold papers from the mid 18th century — These papers reveal the essence of the struggle between the American Colonies and loyalists to the British crown, a primary outcome of which was the fleeing of a large number of loyalists to Nova Scotia. This exodus subsequently quickened the development of Nova Scotia and the emergence of the Province of New Brunswick. A collection of manuscripts by George Otty (1820-1888) — These manuscripts record the sums of the sales, at Saint John, of prize vessels captured during the war of 1812. The minute book of the No. 2 Mechanics' Union Fire Association — This book includes a list of all fires in Saint John between 1840 and 1852. Mr. Holland has long been an advocate of the importance of monitoring the deterioration of documents created with iron gall ink, and preserving them.