Shown here is part of a volume of prints containing scenes of Hastings, Eastbourne, Isle of Wight, Torquay, Llandudno, Whitby and Belgium, 1837-1858 [ref. U929/Z52] The two pages shown are made of pink sugar paper, with an engraving depicting All Saints Church in Hastings affixed to the left-hand page. Having spent a prolonged period of time in direct contact, acid from the engraving ink has transferred to the blank right-hand page, resulting in localised staining. For unbound material, a carefully considered remedial treatment such as washing in deionised water and adding an alkaline reserve could prove effective in reducing this type of staining, so long as the material is deemed stable enough to endure such an intervention. In the case of this volume, the constraints imposed by its binding make it better suited to a non-invasive solution, such as interleaving its pages with sheets of acid-free tissue, paper, or archival plastic to create a barrier against further acid migration.

A is for… #AcidMigration

Acid can transfer between materials that are in direct contact or close proximity, the latter by the movement of acidic vapour. Localised staining can result, as shown here by the impression left on the page facing this engraving.

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