Mildew on Matting

[Lisa_6054]

Hi.

I have a print. There is molding on the matting. Any idea how I can get existing molding off of the mat? Wish it was as easy as replacing the matting, but it has the artist's signature on it, so that's the reason I'm trying to take the mold off before the damage spreads. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

Lisa

[Brian Sims]

Lisa,

I'm looking forward to following this thread. I'm always amazed at the expertise of this group. Perhaps you could give us some more details. The only thing I know is that mold and mildew can't grow without humid conditions. Do you live in a humid climate? Or was the photo rescued from damp conditions? Was it framed? Perhaps our mildew experts can then also comment on prevention. Another question I have is at what point does a collector sacrifice a signed matt to protect the underlying photo?

[Bruce Watson]

What Michael said.

You should consult with an expert in the field. Experience is a valuable thing when fighting mold, especially in matte boards. Museums are good places to find such expertise. Some art galleries too. Search the 'net. There is bound to be some expertise near you.

[robc]

I suspect that however its done there will be some residual marking even if only from close inspection.

Baking Soda dissolved in water works as a fungicide but I don't recommend doing it yourself.

But first you have to clean the marking that the mold has left.

I would follow the others advice and get a paper conservator to have a look at it, even if its only for advice on doing it yourself.

[paulr]

you might want to ask at www.groups.yahoo.com/group/photoconservation

one non-invasive technique i've seen for removing mildew is to hang the contaminated print in a covered area over a dish of thymol solution. the fumes supposedly demolish every living thing. but definitely ask someone who knows what they're doing.

[robc]

palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/mold/ (http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/mold/)

[Lisa_6054]

I appreciate all of your answers.

Since I didn't spent a whole lot on this print, I was hoping that I could take care of this problem myself with as little expense as possible.

Thanks for taking the time to write. This board is great!

Take care.

Lisa