Crossing boundaries: A summary of recent interdisciplinary developments in paper conservation

Summary In its more recent history, the conservation profession has witnessed the evolution of innovative treatment techniques and a related shift in the nature of materials employed. New equipment and applications find their sources in the myriad of constantly changing technologies, and conservators remain ever resourceful at investigating their potential. The inclusion of non-cellulosic (polyester) auxiliary support materials in the arsenal of the painting and paper conservator is but one example of this phenomenon. Moreover, developments within other conservation disciplines have provided a rich source of treatment solutions for conservators of works on paper. Notable in the last decade is a treatment method generated for the consolidation of powdery paint on ethnographic objects which delivers the consolidant in the form of an ultrasonic mist, and which has found significant applications in the treatment of flaking, friable media on paper. This article explores the incorporation of non-traditional and innovative methods and materials into the paper conservator's repertoire over the past 25 years. Examples of materials and techniques gleaned from external sources, from other conservation areas of specialization, and from interdisciplinary collaborations are cited.