Read more at: Q&A Wednesday: Gelatinisation of early parchment fragments in the T-S New Series, with Deborah Farndell
Q&A Wednesday: Gelatinisation of early parchment fragments in the T-S New Series, with Deborah Farndell
In 2014, UL conservator Mary French was asked to examine a parchment fragment in the New Series which had been encapsulated with a small piece of parchment folded over and obscuring a word. When she opened the Melinex pocket she was perplexed to find that some areas of the parchment were translucent, sticky, and unexpectedly pliable. Concerned that it might mean there was a humidity issue in the manuscript storage room, Mary measured the relative humidity levels and found they were elevated in areas near to some air vents.
