[pure-silver] Flooded print

  • From: mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 03 Jun 2010 08:32:46 -0700

Well I found a print last week cleaning out the mother in law's that she had stuck down in the basement of her grand child as a small child.  (mother in law is an alzheimer's patient) I do not know for sure if another copy of this print exists.  Scanning this one prior to doing anything really isn't much of a help.  Its an RA 4 color print.

Now the condition.  It was flooded so badly I thought the print had been totally destroyed, but when I looked closer is was covered in dirt.  A quick wipe with a slightly damp paper towel in an area that will be easiest to digitally repair came back with a totally black paper towel.  

Question is can I just rewash the print to get the dirt off and then hang it out to dry again.  With this type of damage the risk would be taking the emulsion off the paper potentially and who knows what the print could have been exposed to while underwater.    Thoughts on soaking in a tray vs gentle stream or a combination of soaking to loosen and then a gentle stream to carry the rest away?  My gut tells me a tray wash then another tray wash.  Flowing water might not be the right way to go.

Either way the print will need some digital restoration and likely I will take it to black and white.  Yet if I can at least get a clean scan, it will save DAYS in the restoration.  Thoughts????  Thanks in advance

Mark
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