Front: Ambient Light

Front: Raking Light

Back: Ambient Light

Warped backing

Washing and removing the backing

After Treatment

Front: Ambient Light

Front: Raking Light

Back: Ambient Light

Dimensions (Primary Support):
English: 26.02” H x 36.18” L
Metric: 66.1 cm H x cm 91.9 cm L

Dimensions (Image Area):
English: 25.12” H x 34.61” L
Metric: 63.8 cm H x cm 87.9 cm L

General
This is a 20th century lithographic poster print made with black, yellow and magenta inks
on a white, machine-made, thin, wove paper. It is attached to a cardboard backing with a
clear adhesive.

Media

• Black Printing Ink This is a black printing ink that appears throughout the image area.
• Yellow Printing Ink
This is a yellow printing ink used, in conjunction with the magenta printing ink, for the "Cape Argus" text at the top of the image area.
• Magenta Printing Ink
This is a magenta colored printing ink used, in conjunction with the yellow printing ink, for the "Cape Argus" text at the top of the image area. In addition, there is a line of magenta ink found along the bottom margin of the primary support, approximately 1 cm from the bottom edge, that extends to both left and right edges.

Primary Support
The support is a thin, machine-made wove, white paper with a smooth surface. The margins of the support along the left and right edges have an embossed texture as a result of the printing method used by the original creator. The top and bottom edges of the support have a scalloped edge. The support is adhered unevenly to a cardboard backing, with the right side of the support being more attached to the backing that the left side. Where the support is adhered, the corrugation of the cardboard backing is prominently visible.

General
The primary support has been adhered overall to an oversized piece of brown cardboard. This backing has curled and is damaging to the primary support. There are several tears along the margins and an area of loss in the bottom right quadrant.

Media

Black Printing Ink
• There is some abrasion and fading of the black ink, particularly where the support has been wrinkled or creased.
Yellow Printing Ink
• The yellow printing ink is in good condition.
  Magenta Printing Ink
• The magenta printing ink is in good condition.

Primary Support
The primary support is attached by an unknown adhesive to a vertically oversized piece of brown cardboard. The method of application used to adhere the support to the cardboard backing induced several wrinkles, air bubbles and a general planar distortion to the support. The primary support extends past the backing on the right side, from 0.5 cm at the top to 1.5 cm at the bottom edge of the support. Along the left side, it extends past the cardboard backing by 1.1 cm at the top but the overhang narrows to nothing towards the bottom edge. There is a large crease 28.5 cm from the bottom left edge of the support, which extends across the entire width of the support. There is a 11 cm long crease that starts at the right edge of the support and 28.7 cm from the bottom right edge of the support.
The support is adhered unevenly to the cardboard backing, with the right side of the support being more attached to the backing that the left side. Where the support is adhered, the corrugation of the cardboard backing is prominently visible, as is a pattern of abrasion that follows the corrugation ridges.
There is a 1.3 cm long tear in the left edge of the support, 17.3 cm from the bottom edge. There is a 0.9 cm long tear in the right edge of the support, 25 cm from the top edge. Along the bottom margin, under the image area, there are 15 small pin holes. There is a small (<0.3 cm wide) accretion of brown paper fibers and adhesive reside located 9.9 cm from the bottom edge and 17 cm from the right edge of the support. In the bottom right quadrant there is an area of tearing and loss 2.1 cm at its widest, and 3.5 cm at its longest. A 3.5 cm long piece of the support in this area has been torn and rolled onto itself. There are patches of adhesive residue surrounding the torn area and in the "D" and "Y" of "Birthday".

 

Before Treatment: Digital images of the Front and Back, in Ambient and Raking light.

After Treatment: Digital images of the Front and Back, in Ambient and Raking light.

The black, yellow and magenta printing inks were tested separately for solubility in water and ethanol. None of the inks were found to be soluble in either water or ethanol.

1. Remove as much of the cardboard backing as possible using mechanical methods.
2. Complete the backing removal using a humidity chamber, followed by a methyl cellulose poultice if necessary. If the backing is still attached after attempting these methods, a bath of filtered water will be used to loosen the adhesive and cardboard.
3. Fill in the area of loss in the bottom right quadrant using Japanese tissue and wheat starch paste.
4. Encapsulate the item in a Mylar sleeve, and store flat.

1. Mechanical removal of backing. Cardboard delaminated easily, leaving a layer still adhered to the poster.
2. Sprayed out poster with filtered water on the verso. Attempted to remove or loosen the backing.
3. Placed object into filtered water bath with a pH of approximately 8-8.5. Adhesive continued to soften and loosen, but not sufficiently for complete removal of the cardboard remnants.
4. Object was tested again for ethanol solubility, and then ethanol was floated in locations to see if it was more effective. It did not appear to have a significant effect on the adhesive's release.
5. The object was then returned to a hot, filtered water bath with a pH of 8-8.5. At this point the adhesive softened such that most of the remnants and adhesive could be removed.
6. After removal from the bath, the object was dried between blotters and boards.
7. Tears along the edges were mended with wheat starch paste.
8. A fill of Japanese tissue toned with colored pencils was applied with wheat starch paste to the loss in the bottom right quadrant. Tonia Grafakos performed this step of the treatment.
9. The object was then encapsulated in Mylar.