Processing and Description: Housing
HOUSING
Collection Level
- The needs of individual items, as well as the collection as a whole need to be considered to provide the most efficient use of stacks space. Most collections will be stored in manuscript boxes (letter and legal) or cartons.
Folder Level
- Items are "grouped," most often in folders.
- Use the same size folder for each box or carton (i.e., use all legal or all letter size per box).
- What is referred to as "folder level" can also be expandable folders, envelopes, 4-fold wrapper, small box, or a custom enclosure.
- Folders or other enclosures should fit snugly in the box, without curling, shifting, flopping over, etc. Use a box bolster if necessary.
- Oversize folder? Alternate folder placement in box (i.e. alternate the open end) to evenly distribute the weight.
Container Labels
- All boxes should have a label (see images below), including map folders.
- Print on foil-backed labels.
- Note restrictions in red on label.
Folder Titles
- Use pencil and print clearly.
- Label folders with:
- Title
- Folder titles should be clear and concise.
- DO NOT title folders with a year or year range (<unittitle> and <unitdate> are 2 distinct elements).
- Titles on a folder can be condensed versions of what is entered in the finding aid.
- Date or date range of enclosed materials
- Collection number
- Box and Folder number (use the stamp)
- Title
- A "folder" can be another unit of enclosure (4 fold, expandable folder, envelope, etc.).
Description
- Describe by group wherever possible.
- Item level description is rare and reserved for the most valuable items and collections.
- Use approximate dates (circa), using clues from image (cars, dress, etc.).
- Lack of identification? Add note to finding aid. An example is below:
- Note: Most of these photographs lack identification such as people, place, or event. If you were a member of the Black Student Union from 2000-2010, a UB student during that time, or believe you can provide identification for photos in this collection, please contact University Archives.
Storage and Handling
- Use cotton gloves
- Discrete
- Photos with other objects, such as letters, should remain in place to maintain context.
- "Bundle" photo with relating object within a folded piece of permalife paper (unless of high value and use).
- Collections, Series, or Subseries
- Good condition, lower value and use
- Group in envelopes within folder
- Good condition, high value and use
- Store in mylar enclosures (sized to photo) within folder
- Fragile or torn photos (in pieces) of high value and use
- Store in 4 fold enclosure
- Backing board may be necessary
- Flat storage may be necessary
- Good condition, lower value and use
Housing
- Prints and photographs should be de-framed with acidic mats removed
- De-framing of artwork should be decided on an as needed basis, in consultation with an archivist.
- Prints should be stored flat in the smallest container applicable to a collection, or in a shared collection map drawer or oversize box.
- Fragile or broken prints may need to be "sandwiched" between 2 pieces of archival mat board, and/or a 4 fold enclosure may be used.
- Assemblage or other 3 dimensional artwork may need to be stored in a sink mount (example: http://www.theconservationcenter.com/articles/2015/10/19/sink-matting).
Describe prints using this glossary with consultation of (consult How to Identify Prints, by Bamber Gascoigne).
Glossary/Identifying Artworks for Description
- Acrylic
- Can resemble a watercolor or an oil painting, or have its own unique characteristics not attainable with the other media; can look “plastic-y”
- Acrylic is very useful in mixed media, allowing use of pastel [oil & chalk], charcoal, pen, etc. on top of the dried acrylic painted surface. Mixing other bodies into the acrylic is possible - sand, rice, even pasta may be incorporated in the artwork.
- Aquatint
- Magnified à looks like black lace; white spaces surrounded by squiggles
- Imitates the effect of a watercolor wash
- Gradations of tone
- Blueprints [architectural drawings or prints]
- white images on blue backgrounds
- Blueprints prints [architectural drawings or prints]
- blue images on white backgrounds
- Carpet
- Rug of some size
- Use geographical region to describe oriental rugs/carpets
- Cartoon see also Comic Strip
- Pictorial images using wit to comment on such things as contemporary events, social habits, or political trends, usually executed in a broad or abbreviated manner.
- Casein
- Dries to an even consistency with matte finish
- Can resemble oil paint
- Chalk use Pastel
- Charcoal
- Blacker than pencil; if not fixed, can “dust off”
- Can produce precise line or resemble brushstrokes
- Ciborium
- Covered chalice
- Comic Strip
- Often serialized; 1 or more frames
- Conté
- Graphite or charcoal mixed with wax or clay
- Conte crayons are commonly black, gray, brown
- Copper-line Engraving
- Pre-1820 intaglio prints are almost always on copper
- Greater intensity of tone than a steel-engraving; heavier lines
- Drawing
- Generally, has details greater than a sketch, such as shading.
- Drypoint
- “Slashed” quality à with ink held on either side of line, a “warm blur”
- Lines tend to be straight, short, or in very simple curves
- A thin white line can appear with the black line
- Elevation [architectural drawing or print]
- exterior view that closely resembles the natural appearance of the object
- Enamel
- Transparent, opaque or opalescent [translucent] in color, glossy, and very smooth
- Engraving
- Broad and narrow incisions; lines have pointed ends
- More formal, artificial lines
- Etching
- Lines are same width along their lengths with blunt ends
- More fluid/languid lines, akin to drawing
- Film [movie] Use Motion Picture
- Floor plan [architectural drawing or print]
- horizontal section of a building as it would appear if cut through by an intersecting plane
- Giclee
- No screen or other mechanical devices are used and therefore there is no visible dot screen pattern.
- Image has all the tonalities and hues of the original painting
- Gouache
- Water-based, opaque
- Less “wet-appearing” than watercolor
- Often used in 20th century cell animations/graphic design
- Gravure
- Illustration
- Drawing/sketches, etc. designed to accompany text
- Intaglio print
- Image is cut into material [like metal plates]
- Steady, crisp lines with pointed ends
- Variations in ink tone
- Curved, parallel lines of various thickness creating a 3-d effect; crosshatching with dots for tonal areas
- Line engraving
- Image made by linear means only [as opposed to stippling, aquatint, and other methods of producing tone]
- Linocuts
- “Woodcut” using linoleum
- Main consideration is to identify work as a relief print [see Relief print]
- Large size and absence of wood grain, generally = a modern relief print using a composition material like linoleum
- Linoleum block print use Linocuts
- Lithograph
- Flatness of image and lie of the ink
- Evenness of printed tone (as opposed to intaglio print)
- Unchanging density of ink between thin and thick lines
- “dots” look like waxy crayon under magnification
- Doesn’t make a complete/solid line
- Tinted lithograph
- Often a neat, rectangular shape of the tinting gives away that it is not hand-painted
- Color lithograph
- Crayon-shading and/or stipple effects of each printed color
- Lithographic crayon [or chalk]
- Chalk-like effect on print
- Magnified, an evenness of printed tone
- Maquette
- Small model of a sculpture.
- Mixed media
- Work with multiple materials and techniques
- Monoprint
- Image is painted onto a surface, and then transferred to a print by rubbing or pressing.
- Each print is unique.
- Mural
- In any medium dominating a wall/ceiling; if a painting, use mural painting.
- Oil paint
- Subtle blending of colors; vivid color with natural sheen and distinct contrast.
- Surface translucency similar to human skin à ideal medium for portraits.
- Oil pastel
- Characteristics similar to pastels and wax crayons.
- Pastel
- Chalky consistency; needs to be fixed or it can easily mar.
- Pastel covering the entire ground = Pastel Painting
- Pastel Sketch or Pastel Drawing shows much of the ground
- Photo etching use Photogravure
- Photogravure
- Printed photographic images.
- Slightly broken edges; wide-tonal range; excellent reproduction of detail
- Aquatint grain or fine irregular grain pattern that real photos lack; soft-edged dots
- Variation in deposited ink- less in light areas; more in dark areas
- Plan [architectural drawing or print]
- usually drawn to scale, with view looking down on an object, building, or scene from above
- Relief print
- Key characteristic is how the ink lies: pressure of print produces a rim around each printed areas, especially at print edge and areas with ink surrounded by large area of white.
- Rug vs. Carpet
- Carpet= rug of some size; mainly a floor covering
- Rug is generally smaller; can have uses other that a floor covering
- Scratchboard
- drawings are created using sharp knives and tools for etching into a thin layer of white China clay that is coated with black India ink visible scratches/gouges in paper
- can also be made with several layers of multi-colored clay, so the pressure exerted on the instrument used determines the color that is revealed.
- yields a highly detailed, precise and sometimes textured artwork.
- Screen print
- Blended “rainbow” effect à subtle gradations of changing color
- Overlapping layers of ink are visible
- Section [architectural drawing or print]
- orthographic projection of an object as it would appear if cut through by an intersecting plane.
- Usually the slice is vertical and view is horizontal.
- Serigraph Use Screen print
- Silkscreen Use Screen print
- Site plans [architectural drawing or print]
- describes location and orientation of building(s) on a plot of land and in relation to its context
- Sketch
- Drawing without detail, such as shading.
- Tapestry
- Heavy, woven textile, generally used to hang on walls, balconies, etc.
- Tempera
- Smooth matte finish.
- Because it cannot be applied in thick layers as oil paints can, tempera paintings rarely have the deep color saturation that oil paintings have.
- Wash drawing
- artwork in which a fine layer of color—usually diluted ink, bistre, or watercolor—is spread with a brush over a broad surface evenly enough so that no brush marks are visible in the finished product.
- Usually used in conjunction with lines made by a pen or pencil that define and outline, while the wash provides color, depth, and volume.
- Watercolor
- Transparent quality; layering/wash of colors
- Wood engraving
- Finely engraved line in white=wood engraving
- Clear-edged shapes
- Cut across the wood grain, creating a relief block [cutting away non-print areas- image is created by cutting out material; ex- a raised stamp]
- Historical print? Mainly used 1750-1900
- Woodblock print Use Woodcut
- Woodcut
- Cut with the grain, on the plank side of wood.
- Contrasting black and white; solid outlines
- Modern woodcuts sometimes have visible wood grain in black areas
- Historical print? Mainly used pre-1750
Textile Housing
- Photograph all textiles before housing
- Always use unbuffered, undyed, acid-free enclosures
- Never fold needlework, beading, or leather
- Avoid folding textiles along painted areas
Canvas
- Canvas should be cleaned with a dirt sponge
- Do not use water
- Canvas flags and banners should be rolled and stored in a flat box
- Multiple flags may fit in one box
Knit
- Never roll or hang knit textiles (this includes knit wools).
- Store these in flat boxes and pad all creases with unbuffered tissue paper
- Folded textiles should be refolded along alternate creases once a year
Muslin
- Muslin textiles should be stuffed with unbuffered tissue paper along folds and placed in flat boxes
- Avoid folding painted textiles along paint, if this is unavoidable, stuff with unbuffered tissue paper
- Folded textiles should be refolded along alternate creases once a year
Silk
- Silk should be folded minimally, stuffed with unbuffered tissue paper along folds, and stored in a flat box
- Folded textiles should be refolded along alternate creases once a year
Synthetic and Polymer (rayon, nylon, polyester, etc.)
- Synthetic textiles should be rolled on a tube wrapped in Mylar, then covered with unbuffered tissue, unbleached muslin, or wrapped in folder stock
OR
- May be folded minimally, stuffed with unbuffered tissue paper along folds, and stored in a flat box
- Folded textiles should be refolded along alternate creases once a year
Vinyl
- Vinyl may be cleaned with soap that is heavily diluted in water and a dirt sponge
- Vinyl must be allowed to dry completely
- Vinyl textiles should be rolled on a tube wrapped in Mylar, then covered with unbuffered tissue, unbleached muslin, or wrapped in folder stock
- Rolled textiles can then be stored in a rolled storage tube
Wool
- Wool textiles should be folded minimally (if not rolled), stuffed with unbuffered tissue paper along folds, and stored in a flat box
- Avoid rolling knit wool as it stretches the fibers
- Folded textiles should be refolded along alternate creases once a year
- Wool textiles are heavy and should be stored no more than one item per box
Creating custom enclosures should be avoided. However, if preservation needs of an item are significant, a custom enclosure can be created. The most common is a 4-fold enclosure or tuxedo box. Other enclosures can be modeled on existing archival containers, sized to fit a specific need.
Templates for custom book cradles, folder stock enclosures, and sink mats are under Forms and Templates: https://research.lib.buffalo.edu/processing/forms