Today, 27 January, the Iberarchivos cooperation programme would like to congratulate and recognise the restorers on this important date to highlight their hard work, as it is thanks to their dedication and commitment to our documentary heritage that it is possible to keep our memory alive through time.
The International Day of the Conservator Restorer was established at the XVIII International Congress on Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property held in Granada in 2011.
The work of restorers in archives is fundamental as their work safeguards primary sources, thus preventing the loss of the Ibero-American memory.
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- 2018-072-026 – Consolidación de soporte.
Since Iberachivos is a programme committed to the preservation of the memory of Ibero-America, it has supported the funding of a number of archival projects related to the conservation and restoration of archival collections.
To celebrate this day, we would like to bring you closer to some of these projects:
2019/023 Restoration and digitisation of the Books of Acts of the University of Granada, 1642-1703: This project has consisted of the restoration of the books of the series “Libros de Actos”, comprised between the years 1642 – 1692, and their digitisation.
2016/012 Restoration of books of sacraments, deaths and a Libro de Fábrica del Curato del Rio Cuarto, Argentina (1747-1901): The oldest books of the Archivo Histórico Diocesano del Obispado Villa de la Concepción del Río Cuarto (Diocesan Historical Archive of the Bishopric of Villa de la Concepción del Río Cuarto) were restored. The Conservation Laboratory N. Yapuguay (Buenos Aires) and the Taller Fibras para el alma (Córdoba) were involved. The specimens were stabilised according to the deterioration observed. Criteria used: reversibility of all interventions and use of conservation-quality techniques and materials.
2013/077. Panama Historical restoration of 20 volumes of the life of the distinguished fire brigade of the Republic of Panama from 1910-1924: This project carried out activities for the preservation and conservation of the documentation belonging to the volumes from 1910 to 1924, as they were the most deteriorated and the most consulted by users.
The volumes were analysed for subsequent disinfection and restoration. The volumes were then bound and boxes were made for their conservation.
2012/064. Cuba Environmental characteristics of conservation and restoration of the documentary collections in the National Archive of the Republic of Cuba (1st phase): The project is carried out as a complement in currency to the institutional R&D&I project, Influence of the quality of the repository environment on the conservation of documents of heritage value. It is framed within the Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts, profile Conservation and Restoration of Immovable Goods, which is why this work (carried out by three students) was presented as part of their theses, which were defended with excellent results.
The project was based on the exhaustive analysis of the environmental characteristics within the field of conservation and restoration of the documentary collection of the National Archive. The results were very positive for these actions: methyl cellulose, a glue, was acquired for the restoration of important documents, and suitable wrappings were made for the conservation of photographs. The project was used as a basis for presentations at national and international events, and the results were published in international journals.
2016/121 Conservation of nitrate and cellulose acetate negatives belonging to the documentary collection entitled: “Procuraduría General de Justicia del Distrito Federal; Registro Fotográfico de Investigaciones Políticas y Sociales (Activistas del 68)”: During the project, the supporting materials of the negatives of the collection “Procuraduría General de Justicia del Distrito Federal; Registro Fotográfico de Investigaciones Políticas y Sociales (Activistas del 68)” were identified, their conservation diagnosis, the establishment of a deterioration scale to determine the intervention needs, as well as the stabilisation of the nitrate and cellulose acetate negatives with the most urgent need for attention based on their state of conservation.