Preserving Manuscripts

Everything said about the care of books applies to manuscripts, with one difference of principle: a manuscript is unique. There is no second copy, and a loss is absolute. That should govern every decision about handling and housing.

Parchment

Parchment is skin, and it responds to its environment. In dry air it becomes brittle and shrinks; in damp it relaxes, cockles and, if conditions persist, supports mould. Repeated cycling between the two is what does the lasting damage.

Store parchment flat wherever possible, in an enclosure that supports the whole sheet. Do not attempt to flatten a cockled document; forcing parchment flat splits it, and controlled humidification is a conservator's procedure.

Parchment documents folded for centuries should be opened only as far as they open willingly. If a fold resists, stop.

Iron-gall ink

Most European manuscript ink from the medieval period to the nineteenth century is iron-gall, and it is chemically active. As it ages it can corrode its own support: the writing darkens, then browns, the paper around the strokes weakens, and eventually the ink cuts through the sheet, leaving the text as a stencil.

The condition is progressive, and it accelerates in high humidity. There is no domestic remedy. Keep affected material cool, dry and stable; handle it as little as possible; support it fully in an enclosure; and have anything significant assessed by a paper conservator. Never wet or spray a document with iron-gall ink.

Seals

Wax seals are among the most fragile things a collection contains. They crack under pressure, soften in warmth, and shear off at the tag.

House a sealed document so that the seal is supported independently of the parchment, in a recess or on a padded ring, and never allow the weight of the document to hang from it. Do not stack sealed documents. Do not attempt to reattach a detached seal — keep it with the document, in its own compartment, and let a conservator make the decision.

Handling

Clean, dry hands. A clear, dry table with nothing else on it — no drinks, no ink, no loose papers.

Support the whole object at all times, using a folder or a board to carry it rather than lifting a fragile sheet by its corners. Turn leaves from the outer edge, near the middle of the sheet.

Use pencil only, and preferably not at all, in the same room.

Photograph or scan for study so the original can stay in its box. In practice, the single greatest reduction in risk comes from reducing handling.

Housing

Each item should have its own enclosure: a folder of acid-free, lignin-free paper or board, or an inert polyester sleeve where the surface is stable. Do not sleeve anything with flaking pigment, powdery ink or a friable surface, because static will lift it.

For parchment, unbuffered enclosures are preferred. Buffered, alkaline-reserve materials suit most paper but are not appropriate for skin or for certain photographic materials.

Store folders flat in shallow boxes rather than upright, and never let a document take the weight of others above it.

Remove pins, paperclips and rusting fastenings only if they lift away without resistance. If a fastening has corroded into the paper, leave it and take advice.

Environment and disaster

Cool, dark, stable, moderate humidity — as for books, and with less tolerance for variation.

Because manuscripts cannot be replaced, think about water. Do not store below plumbing, in a cellar, or on a floor. Keep boxes raised. Make a photographic record of the collection and keep it elsewhere. If material does become wet, do not attempt to dry it with heat: keep it cool, separate the items where they part willingly, and telephone a conservator immediately. Freezing is frequently the correct first step, and it buys time.