Opinions Wanted diploma from 1911

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thehadmatter

CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
Joined
Oct 19, 2007
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199
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Central USA
My boss brought in her mother's diploma from 1911 to be framed. It is badly damaged: water stains, pieces missing, etc. We have a mat behind the document, but my thought is to encase the entire document in mylar before laying it on the mat. Is that what others would suggest doing as well? I just don't see any other method of mounting that would be appropriate.
 
Unfortunately, I don't have the equipment. I could outsource, but I don't think I could sell the boss on this. This is a very do as I say type situation and that would be outside of the realm of their interest.
 
You say "pieces missing" but not "pieces loose."

If it is all supported from the top you can still hinge it.

If it needs more overall support, then a clear film encapsulation would work. A Lineco L-velope would probably be the simplest and easiest, but cost a bit more.
 
If it was me, I would also mylar. Those are old and brittle. If you hinge at the top you are risking it falling apart even more. Why take that chance when the mylar will provide more protection?
 
So............are you planning on float mounting it?
Or will the matting cover up the edges........?
You can always use the conservation mounts! :shrug:
 
All the missing pieces are along the top edge. Sides also have tears. Boss wants it to be mounted so as to see the bottom mat. Top mats have a 1" reveal of the bottom mat. So the more I think on this, the more I lean toward encapsulation. Thanks for the ideas guys! I'll try to post a photo tomorrow.
 
Fusion

Unless your boss's mother is famous, I'd use fusion to drymount the diploma fragments to a piece of rag mat that is the approximate color of the aged paper. Then use Prismacolors to fill in some of the missing elements (lines, letter segments, etc) if you have some talent. This also works for decayed old maps and documents if they're not too valuable, especially if they're so far gone, you're essentially bringing them back from the dead!
Marge Miccio
http://www.artifactsgallerytrenton.com
 
I would not permanently mount any item that I could not replace.

Clear film encapsulation may be OK, but it would change the look of the document, and you would need to keep the tape strips of double-sided tape (NOT ATG) within 1/4" of the edges.

Hinging may be OK too, if the substrate is sturdy enough to withstand the stresses of handling and gravity, but I would be skeptical about that. With one strong bump of the frame, hinging could result in more torn pieces along the top edge.

Unless the diploma has sticky parts or three-dimensional features, such as a raised seal or thermal engraving, I would probably use an acrylic DCO (Direct Contact Overlay) mount. The main concern would be mechanical damage caused by pressing the document against the acrylic sheet.

That would be a non-adhesive mount, and the entire surface area would be supported evenly -- no stress on any part of the document. You may show all the edges if you want, and it is completely reversible, too. I suggest optically coated acrylic for the best possible appearance. Do not use glass for this type of mount, because of dew point issues.

More details are available in previous Grumble threads -- search for terms like "overlay mount". Also, see the article in June PFM.
 
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