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Box 3012, Rochester, NY 14614 D ow nloaded from http://m eridian.allenpress.com /doi/pdf/10.17723/aarc.44.4.m 9781183n7l32ql1 by C arnegie M ellon U niversity user on 06 A pril 2021 THIS IS THE NEW SHAPE OF ARCHIVAL STORAGE. LIGHTWEIGHT, ECONOMICAL, ACID-FREE CONTAINERS THAT SHIP FLAT, STORE FLAT, AND ASSEMBLE IN SECONDS FOR SECURE PRESERVATION OF DOCUMENTS, PRINTS, TEXTILES This is a new concept in acid-free archival storage, made possible because of the development of a new material. The material is a unique acid-free corrugated board, never before manufactured. Rigid and lightweight, it is not only made of entirely acid-free materials, but buffered against acid deterioration, treated with fungicides to resist mildew, and laminated with neutral pH, water-resistant adhesives. With this new material, we have designed archival storage boxes which can be shipped and stored flat—eliminating waste in inventory and shipment—and can be assembled quickly and easily, without fasteners or adhesives, to hold documents, prints, drawings, photographs, microfilms, textiles, costumes and other artifacts, and any other items requiring secure, acid-free protection. These boxes were designed to the specifications of a number of major national and international institutions, ranging from galleries, museums and the Municipal Archives of the City of New York to the Australian Archives. They are available from stock in sixteen sizes, and may also be supplied in any dimensions required, on a special-order basis. Please write or telephone us for full specifications. Document box, available in letter and legal sizes. Textile, costume and artifact boxes, in sizes to 60x18 inches. PROCESS MATERIALS CORPORATION A LINDENMEYR COMPANY 301 Veterans Boulevard, Rutherford, NJ 07070 (201)935-2900 Print and photo box available in a wide range of sizes, somt featuring hinged tof and drop-down sidt opening for easy access. D ow nloaded from http://m eridian.allenpress.com /doi/pdf/10.17723/aarc.44.4.m 9781183n7l32ql1 by C arnegie M ellon U niversity user on 06 A pril 2021 Photofile the ultimate in archival record preservation Acid-Free Envelopes Rare manuscripts and documents can be stored and preserved indefinitely in these high qualify add-free envelopes. Stock is completely free of any contaminating or deteriorating chemical agents. Available in ivory only, with or without flap. Acid-free adhesive secures binding seams. 5 Manuscript Sizes. 6 Photographic Negative Sizes. Manuscript and Photograph Protectors Clear see-thru polyester binders. Inside binding edge grips manuscript firmly in place. Completely protects contents from fingerprints and out- side contamination while document is being read or copied for referral purposes. Available in 5 sizes. Transparent Mylar®Sleeves. Negative protection with ample space for indexing. Negatives can be easily viewed without removal from envelope. ^ ^ Send for Free Brochure P H O T O F I L E 2000 Lewis Avenue • Zion, Illinois 60099 • (312)872-7557 ® Mylar is a du Pont Trade Mark. D ow nloaded from http://m eridian.allenpress.com /doi/pdf/10.17723/aarc.44.4.m 9781183n7l32ql1 by C arnegie M ellon U niversity user on 06 A pril 2021 372 The American Archivist / Fall 1981 Professional Reading PAUL V. GUITE, Compiler T H E FOLLOWING LIST OF ARTICLES of current interest to archivists and manuscript curators has been compiled from recent archival and library periodicals received by the National Archives Library. The listing is selective. It is meant to provide the reader with more immediate access to current professional literature than he or she might otherwise have. Arena, Franca. "Ethnic Archives." Archives and Manuscripts 8 (June 1980): 22-26. Ethnic archives in Australia. Bamberger, Mary Ann; and McCree, Mary Lynn. "The Manuscript Collection at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 301-4. Berlin, Ira R. "The Northwestern Memo- rial Hospital Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 333-34. Bowen, Laurel G. "The Manuscripts Sec- tion of the Illinois State Historical Library." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 250-53. Bujkovsky, Gustav J. "COM: Past, Present, and Future." Information &f Records Man- agement 14 (May 1980): 35-36, 38-39, 50. Bunce, Peter W.; Shanks, W. Kenneth; and Weber, David S. "Of Trials, Tribes, and Topographers: Holdings of the Chicago Regional Branch of the National Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 283-86. Burns, David D. "Michael Reese Hospital: Archives and Public Affairs." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 335-36. Charman, Derek. "The Expanding Role of the Archivist." Records Management Quarterly 14 (Jan. 1980): 24-28, 3 0 - 3 1 . Conrad, James. "ETSU Launches Project to Copy Old Photographs." Texas Librar- ies 42 (Spring 1980): 35-39. Crouse, Moses C ; and Colby, Doris K. "The Aurora College Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 304-7. Daly, John. "The Illinois State Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 253-57. Darling, Pamela W., and Sherelyn, Ogden. "From Problems Perceived to Programs in Practice: The Preservation of Library Resources in the U.S.A., 1956-1980." Library Resources & Technical Services 25 (JanVMar. 1981): 9-29. Debolt, Dean. "Education and Public Affairs: Documenting Illinois' First Senior University." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 257-60. Devlin, Mary; and Fallucco, Marguerite. "The Archives of the American Medical Association." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 337-38. Fischer, G. L. "The Clock of History." Archives and Manuscripts 7 (Nov. 1979): D ow nloaded from http://m eridian.allenpress.com /doi/pdf/10.17723/aarc.44.4.m 9781183n7l32ql1 by C arnegie M ellon U niversity user on 06 A pril 2021 Reviews 373 240—51. Modified version of presiden- tial address given at the Second Biennial Conference of the Australian Society of Archivists. Gianatasio, Joyce E. "The Society of American Archivists." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 236-37. Grace, Brother Michael, SJ. "Loyola Uni- versity of Chicago Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 307-8. Gwinn, Nancy E. "CRL and Preservation." College & Research Libraries 42 (March 1981): 104-26. The grants program of the Council on Library Resources. In- cludes bibliography. Hamilton, David. "An Archive of Sound." Opera News 46, no. 2 (Aug. 1981): 16-18, 38. Hansen, James E., II; and Newman, John. "Training History Students in Working Archives." History Teacher 13 (Feb. 1980): 211-21. Haring, Jacqueline. "Manuscript Collec- tions in the Knox College Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 260-62. Haskell, Diana. "Midwest Manuscripts at the Newberry Library." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 287-89. Janzen, Mary E. "Archival Literature Relating to Illinois Repositories and Their Holdings, 1971-1980: A Selective Bibliography." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 240-50. Koch, David V. "The University Archives of Southern Illinois University at Car- bondale." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 263-65. Lance, David. "Sound Archive Develop- ment and Practice: A Case Study." Archives and Manuscripts 8 (June 1980): 9-16. Establishment and development of a sound archives at the Imperial War Museum's Department of Sound Rec- ords, London. Lange, Janet M. "Everett Dirksen's Leg- acy: A Research Center Devoted to the Study of Congress and Congressional Leadership." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 266-69. Larson, Sarah. "Records of the Southern Claims Commission." Prologue 12 (Win- ter 1980): 207-18. Leonard, Kevin B. "The Northwestern University Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 308-11. Lundeen, Joel W. "The Lutheran Church in America's Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 315-18. Lynch, James R. "Brethren Historical Library and Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 319-22. McCauley, Margery J. "Information Policy and the National Audiovisual Center." Government Publications Review 8A, no. 3 (1981): 215-20. McMillan, John. "Archival and Related Legislation." Archives and Manuscripts 7 (Nov. 1979): 256-67. Madaj, M.J. "The Chicago Archdiocesan Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 322-26. Maher, William J. "The Illini Archives: A Laboratory for Retrospective Research." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 269-73. Morrison, Robert C. "Conservation Notes." Archives and Manuscripts 8 (June 1980): 5 5 - 6 1 . Motley, Archie. "The Chicago Historical Society Manuscripts Collection." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 291-92. Norton, Margaret Cross. "Archives in Illi- nois: T h e Pioneer Period." Illinois Libraries (March 1981): 229-35. Norwood, Terrence S. "The Cook County Hospital Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 338-39. Osborn, Walter. "The Moody Bible Insti- tute Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 326-27. Patenall, Dianne. "Records Management: Three Years' Experience at the Records Management Office of New South Wales." Archives and Manuscripts 7 (Nov. 1979): 252-55. Perotin-Dumon, Anne. "L'audiovisuel, nouveau territoire de la conservation." Gazette des Archives n.s., no. 109 (1980): 9 1 - 124. Includes abstract in English. Porter, John. "The Changing World of Information Management." Information & Records Management 14 (May 1980): 13-14. D ow nloaded from http://m eridian.allenpress.com /doi/pdf/10.17723/aarc.44.4.m 9781183n7l32ql1 by C arnegie M ellon U niversity user on 06 A pril 2021 374 The American Archivist / Fall 1981 Quinn, Patrick M. "The Archival Situation in Illinois." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 226-29. Saclier, Michael. "The Australian Society of Archivists: The First Five Years." Archives and Manuscripts 8 (June 1980): 3 - 8 . Schoelwer, Susan Prendergast. "The Chi- cago Public Library Special Collections Division." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 293-96. Scott, P. J.; Smith, C D . ; and Finlay, G. "Archives and Administrative Change— Some Methods and Approaches (Part 3)." Archives and Manuscripts 8 (June 1980): 41-54. Shuster, Robert. "The Archives of the Billy Graham Center and the Preserva- tion of the History of Evangelicals." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 327-30. Smith, Clive. "The Australian Archives." Archives and Manuscripts 8 (June 1980): 33-40. Sommerfeld, Marcia. "The Northern Illi- nois Regional History Center." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 274-76. Stegh, Leslie J. "Deere & Company Archives and Records Services." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 276-79. Sutton, Robert P. "Western Illinois Uni- versity Archives and Special Collec- tions." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 279-81. Teleky, Elizabeth Stege. "The University Archives and Manuscript Collections in University of Chicago Library." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 311-14. Turnbaugh, Roy. "The Evolution of an Archives Network: The Illinois Regional Archives Depository System." Illinois Libraries 63 (March 1981): 237-40. Walsh, Timothy. "A Typical Archival Conservation Laboratory." Archives and Manuscripts 7 (Nov. 1979): 268-75. Fac- tors involved in conservation laboratory design in Australia. Westberg, Sigurd F. "The Archives of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Amer- ica." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 331-32. Westerberg, Wesley M. "The Swedish Pioneer Archives." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 296-98. Wittman, Elisabeth. "The Historical Rec- ords and Archives of the University of Illinois at the Medical Center." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 339-42. Zukowsky, John. "Burnham's Gift to Chi- cago: The Burnham Library of Archi- tecture." Illinois Libraries 63 (Apr. 1981): 298-300. D ow nloaded from http://m eridian.allenpress.com /doi/pdf/10.17723/aarc.44.4.m 9781183n7l32ql1 by C arnegie M ellon U niversity user on 06 A pril 2021 The American Archivist/ Vol. 44, No. 4 / Fall 1981 375 Technical Notes BEN DEWHITT, Editor Product Guide on Solid State Emitters. A twenty-four page product guide providing tabulated data and outline configurations for RCA's line of solid state emitters has been released by RCA Electro-Optics and Devices, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The line includes the following types of IR emitters and injection lasers: infra-red emitting diodes, pulse and CW operated injection lasers, stacked diode lasers, and laser systems. The product guide, SSE-100, features an applications section depicting schematics of typical drive circuits for IR-emitting diodes and injection lasers. Selection guides are also included. Copies of the SSE-100 product guide may be obtained by writing to RCA, Box 3200, Somerville, NJ 08876. Report of OCLC Users Council Meeting in St. Louis. The OCLC Users Council dealt with issues of membership, determination of number of delegates, and a statement on the Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee (NAC) discussion paper on nation- wide network development and governance support at a two-day meeting in St. Louis, 1-2 June 1981. Richard Chapin, Director of Libraries at Michigan State University, and president of the OCLC Users Council, will present an official statement at the NAC hearing at the ALA annual conference in San Francisco. The Users Council position on a national network is that it will continue to evolve. The position paper said: "The idea of legislating an agency to oversee a national network is rejected on philosophical and economic grounds. A governmental, quasi-public or independent agency to oversee a national network would not be sufficiently sensitive to market forces, technology development, or user feedback, despite all protests and claims to the contrary. The artificial control by such an agency would probably cause enough problems to stifle any cooperation among the various components of the national network." The statement continues: "The OCLC Users Council believe strongly in the evolution- ary process. Libraries and library related organizations have a history of cooperation and there is no reason to believe that that spirit will cease in the 1980s. Indeed, economic pressures alone would seem to indicate that cooperation may be a necessary tool for survival. Cooperation among the components of a national library network has been happening, is currently happening, and will continue to happen. Libraries should take Readers are encouraged to send contributions to "Technical Notes." Address them to Ben DeWhitt, NARS (NNR), Washington, DC 20408. D ow nloaded from http://m eridian.allenpress.com /doi/pdf/10.17723/aarc.44.4.m 9781183n7l32ql1 by C arnegie M ellon U niversity user on 06 A pril 2021 376 The American Archivist / Fall 1981 no other stand than to encourage those organizations to continue to cooperate in the best interests of all." Users Council delegates sent back to the OCLS Board of Trustees for clarification a proposal that would create two types of membership in OCLC, voting and non-voting. A voting member, basically, would use OCLC's cataloging and interlibrary loan subsys- tems, while non-voting members, generally, could use one or more OCLC subsystems other than cataloging. Depending on board action, the Users Council may take up the matter again at its September meeting. The delegates accepted recommendations from the Task Force on Delegate Algorithm that would limit the size of the Council to sixty delegates (presently there are seventy- eight delegates). The primary factors determining representation are number of general members in each network at the end of the fiscal year, and the total non-pass-through revenue flowing from each network to OCLC for the previous fiscal year. The delegates accepted the report of the Task Force on System Priorities and Needs, which recently conducted a survey of 491 participating libraries selected by random sample. The response rate was an impressive 86 percent. The purpose of the survey was to identify preferences for enhancements in, or improvements to, OCLC's existing sub- systems, and the development of new products and services. Respondents were asked to limit their choices to ten items in each section, and to identify their first, second, and third choices from among the ten selections. The first tier of enhancements/improvements to existing subsystems selected by more than 50 percent of respondents included subject access for cataloging, response time, catalog card production, and shared cataloging. Fifty percent of respondents put into the first tier for new products and services the following: subject access for public services and processing of OCLC MARC Subscription Service tapes for AACR2. The report includes observations on the findings and recommendations for applying them to activ- ities of the Users Council. Reactions to the report have been forwarded to the Users Council Task Force on Effectiveness. Copies of the report are available from: Sharon Walbridge, Users Council Coordinator, 6565 Frantz Road, Dublin, Ohio 43017. The Users Council Task Force on Effectiveness conducted hearings in small group sessions the afternoon of 1 June to respond to a preliminary report that evaluates the council's performance after its first two years of operations. The report includes a set of recommendations designed to improve effectiveness of the council. A final report will be submitted to the council in September. The delegates passed a resolution requesting a plan from OCLC regarding future expansion of hours of operation of the on-line system in 1981. Another Users Council resolution urged OCLC to begin a study to determine services for users that can be undertaken to provide mechanized (as opposed to manual and repetitive) entry of hold- ings in the data base. Delegates also heard reports from OCLC management, including User Services Divi- sion Director Mary Ellen Jacob, and President Rowland C. W. Brown. Scott Bruntjen, Executive Director of PRLC, reported on activities on regional networks. Warren Haas, President, Council on Library Resources, spoke on CLR's activities at a Users Council network luncheon on 2 June. CLR Committee Issues Interim Report on Book Paper. The Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity has issued its Interim Report on Book Paper. Formed in 1979 by the Council on Library Resources with the assistance of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the committee consists of experts on paper manufacturing, publishing, and library book preservation programs. The committee's aim is to encourage the improve- ment of the physical qualities of publications, particularly books. The initial work of the group has centered on book paper. Members have gathered information about book D ow nloaded from http://m eridian.allenpress.com /doi/pdf/10.17723/aarc.44.4.m 9781183n7l32ql1 by C arnegie M ellon U niversity user on 06 A pril 2021 Technical Notes 377 paper supply and use, concentrating specifically on promoting production and use of acid-free paper as the single most important element in assuring book permanence. The report notes that certain economic considerations and anti-pollution laws have increased interest in the production of acid-free book paper. In 1980 about one-fourth of the paper manufactured in the United States for book production was acid-free, and this percentage is likely to increase during the next decade. Because the supply of acid- free paper is limited, a major task is to determine which categories of material should receive priority in the production of acid-free books. Although publishers will have to make the final judgments, the committee suggests that such decisions can be guided by professionals in the field and members of the scholarly community. The committee notes that neither publishers nor librarians have made permanence an important consideration in either production or purchase decisions. The report asserts that "The aims of our committee would be largely realized if publishers would be more aware of the need for 'permanence' and would make thoughtful decisions about the paper used to print their books." The committee's specific recommendations are addressed to both librarians and pub- lishers. An appendix includes guidelines for paper to be used in book production, and the committee encourages publishers who use paper conforming to the specifications to identify their acid-free books with an appropriate statement in each book. The recom- mendations addressed to the library community include recognition of the responsibility to make publishers, including the U.S. government, aware of their preservation needs. Finally, the report urges publishers to stock acid-free paper for use on appropriate titles. Members of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity are: Herbert S. Bailey, Jr., Chairman (Princeton University Press); Frank G. Burke (National Historical Publications and Records Commission); Warren J. Haas (Council on Library Resources, Inc.); Peter Mollman (Random House, Inc.); Leonard D. Schlosser (Lindenmeyr Paper Corporation); David H. Stam (New York Public Library); and R. Gay Walker (Yale University Library). Copies of the 13-page report are available from the Council on Library Resources, Inc., Suite 620, One Dupont Circle, NW., Washington, DC 20036, upon receipt of a request and a self-addressed mailing label. The Council on Library Resources is a private operating foundation. Through directly administered projects as well as grants to and contracts with other organizations, it attempts to assist in finding solutions to the problems facing libraries, particularly aca- demic and research libraries. CLR was established in 1956 by the Ford Foundation and continues to receive support from it as well as others. Free Catalog of Furniture and Media for Computer Systems. A new catalog from Inmac (International Minicomputer Accessories Corporation) introduces more than sixty new products including computer supplies, accessories, and cables designed to improve productivity, save time, and promote safety and security. The publication presents two new product lines: DataMaster, a modular furniture system for ADP environments; and Inmac Plus, premium quality magnetic media. The catalog is cross-referenced and con- tains articles on data processing. For a free, one-year subscription, write: Inmac, Depart- ment 11, 2465 Augustine Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95051. New, Luminescent, Non-slip Floor Tread. MACtac has introduced a luminescent, non- slip floor tread that provides safety during temporary power failures. Glo-Grit is available in rolls or pre-cut treads. An instant-bonding adhesive fixes the high strength, plastic, carrier film to steps, ramps, and walkways, providing a gritty, non-slip surface and visual guidance by self-illumination. For a sample, write or call MACtac Industrial Products Division, 4560 Darrow Road, Stow, Ohio 44224. [Telephone: (261) 688-1111]. D ow nloaded from http://m eridian.allenpress.com /doi/pdf/10.17723/aarc.44.4.m 9781183n7l32ql1 by C arnegie M ellon U niversity user on 06 A pril 2021 378 The American Archivist / Fall 1981 New Office-Size Microfilm Camera/Processor. Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc., has intro- duced a new floor-model microfilm camera/processor, usable with 120 volt power and weighing 220 pounds. Operation requires no special technical skills. Features of the MICLE 1200 include exposure control for overly light or dark originals, and reminder lights for film or chemical replacement. Copying costs are approximately 20 cents per 60 documents, and a rate of one 12-frame strip each 90 seconds is possible. The devel- oping system is self-contained, requiring no external plumbing hook-ups. Chemistry replacement is necessary after each 100 feet of processed film. Two optional accessories are available—a document feeder and a microfilm storage jacket inserter. MICLE 1200 has been tested for a year at records management and archival institutions. For more information contact: Ed Malin, Fuji Film U.S.A., Inc., 1050 Northgate Drive, Suite 356, San Rafael, CA 94903. ALA Report Covers Movable, Compact Shelving. A comprehensive report entitled "Movable Compact Shelving: A Survey of U.S. Suppliers and Library Users," has been issued by the American Library Association in Library Technology Reports, vol. 17, no. 1, January-February 1981. It presents an objective review of library movable shelving sys- tems, with data on site visits and comments from library staff members in evaluating systems. The report describes a wide variety of electric, manual-assist, and manual shelv- ing systems and includes diagrams and photographs showing how movable stacks can conserve space over conventional fixed-in-place shelving. The technology report is avail- able at $40 per copy. Contact: Howard S. White, Editor, Library Technology Reports, American Library Association, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. ; " An example of lacing: deed, John Star to Christopher Wadsworth, Duxbury, Massachusetts, bearing signature of Myles Standish (1655). See pp. 379-80. Copyright Pilgrim Society D ow nloaded from http://m eridian.allenpress.com /doi/pdf/10.17723/aarc.44.4.m 9781183n7l32ql1 by C arnegie M ellon U niversity user on 06 A pril 2021 Technical Notes 379 Folklore and Paper Restoration FOLK REMEDIES USUALLY HAVE LITTLE TO DO with archival methodology, much less with the conservation of documentary sources. It was therefore all the more interesting to learn about a r a r e little volume entitled, A New System of Domestic Cookery Formed Upon Principles of Economy and Adapted to the Use of Private Families By a Lady with the Addition of Many New Receipts and Embellished with Engravings (Halifax: Milner and Sowerby, 1858). Among its many useful suggestions for a farming population, such as formulas for dyes to look like "York Tan" with the use of saffron or "to prevent the rot in sheep," was, strangely, "A liquor to wash old deeds on paper or parchment when the writing is obliterated, or when sunk, to make it legible." The fact that anyone at that early time was attempting to remedy the problem of fading and eventually the lacing (the cutting through the paper of the ink image) of iron gall inks would, I thought, be of interest to the membership of the Society of American Archivists. The remedy as set forth in 1858 is as follows: "Take five or six galls, bruise them, and put them in a pint of strong white wine; let it stand in the sun for two days. Then, dip a brush into the wine and wash the part of the writing which is sunk; and by the color you will see whether it is strong enough of the galls." Wishing to obtain an expert opinion on this nineteenth-century folk-conservator's work, I communicated her suggestions to George Martin Cunha at his laboratory in Topsfield, Massachusetts. I was more than a little surprised to find that what the lady had to say in 1858 could be successfully applied. Cunha's letter to me of 18 July 1980 is of interest, therefore, from a historical as well as a practical point of view for those of us who have labored over faded iron gall inks with ultra-violet readers, or have lamented our total loss when the inks have completely destroyed the papers upon which they were used. Cunha writes: The formula will work on faded iron inks because the tannic acid in the oak galls is one of the two principal ingredients in iron gall ink. The other is iron from any one of several sources, and the combination makes ferric tannate which is brown-black ink seen on so many of the early documents in your archives. When the ink fades, the ferric tannate is reducing (the opposite of oxidizing), to ferrous tannate which is very light brown, sometimes difficult to read, writing. The mixture of galls and strong white wine (acetic acid), will re-oxidize the ferrous tannate back to the darker ferric tannate. Cunha went on to write that he uses a 2 percent solution of tannic acid that, when brushed on faded iron ink, or immersed in it, will darken the faded ink very rapidly. The fact is that the tannic acid solution will not work on aniline inks unless it is mixed with iron ink, and the writing could be lost if the inks are of water-soluble aniline colors. According to Cunha, the key to the restoration is first to test for water solubility, and to deacidify the paper after using the 2 percent solution, as it is an acid itself. Would that the more home-grown variety of restoration techniques, or the more mod- ern scientific methods, were available in earlier years to former archivists and keepers of records. This knowledge and its application would surely have prevented the lacing found in many seventeenth-century documents in this historic county and in others. (L. D. GELLER, Plymouth, Massachusetts) D ow nloaded from http://m eridian.allenpress.com /doi/pdf/10.17723/aarc.44.4.m 9781183n7l32ql1 by C arnegie M ellon U niversity user on 06 A pril 2021 ARchivES AN