Analysis and restoration of two cloth-backed and varnished maps from the 20th century: insights from an international reseach stay in Mexico
Abstract
The cloth-backed and varnished maps produced since the Industrial Revolution suffer from a lack of socio-cultural recognition, leading to the deterioration of preserved documents and the absence of research on their production and materiality. This study involves the scientific analysis and restoration of two 20th century maps carried out by researchers from the University of Granada and the School of Conservation and Restoration of the West within the context of an international research stay.
The characterization of the documents was performed using multispectral digitization, fiber composition identification, Infrared Spectroscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Subsequently, the restoration of the maps was undertaken. The initial disassembly was followed by cleaning and varnish removal, as well as lamination and reintegration of missing parts. The implementation of tracings and digital microscopy was used as evaluation systems for the results.
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References
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