The Framers Forum

Hello,

Looking for ideas on how best to flatten and mount a heavily creased airmap dated from 1943. The customer is open to different mounting methods which I have discussed and just wants it framed so does not need to be reversible. I'm reluctant to dry mount it in a Hotpress for obvious reasons (like OS maps don't like dry mounting). I may be wrong. Also I don't use glues so not very keen on that method.

Any ideas welcome. Thank you
Marshall

This is not an easy issue to give a hard and fast answer to. It is sometimes possible for a skilled conservator to make something look so pristine, as to not retain the recognisable and quite reasonable indications that this is an item which is both reasonable for it's age and not a reproduction.

Excessive restoration can totally take away the attributes of age. As you say it is not a good thing to dry mount the map either, but it is a accepted and reasonable action to mount maps onto linen, or a more open weave fabric called mull. Mull is the name of the type of fabric which was fixed to the rear of maps that were supplied as new with a fabric backing in that era.

There are different grades of mull and some look better presented than others, I would suggest a grade commonly sold and described as "best". Mounting the map onto fabric will help to provide a degree of flattening, without completely eradicating all of the evidence of handling and creases. It is of course a compromise, as many things often are, but perhaps the best of both worlds.

Thank you NYAF. Can you tell me how exactly it is 'attached' to the Mull or linen? Is it then stretched a little as in lacing up the back? Not quite sure I get how it flattens it a bit. Like the idea of best of both worlds and not sure the customer will be paying restoration costs anyway.

Thanks.

Per the second photo, the map appears to be printed on paper.
My first procedure would be to place the map in a humidity chamber (a large plastic bag will do) with something moist like a sponge in a jar with holes in the lid. After letting the map relax for several days I would place the map under a lite of glass and books (weights) for several more days. This will flatten most of the creases.

note: creases are part of the history of the map and should be left as is after relaxing. Hinge in normal manner on a conservation grade mount board.

Every time you fold paper and the more you fold it, like folding in half , then in half again, then in half again, you will find the paper has stretched, so it' ain't going to lie flat and if you try to force it , then it will crease

Don't even try. There is a high probability that you'll make it worse in trying to flatten it.
Think of it as a 3D object and frame accordingly.
After 70-odd years it's decided how it wants to be.

** Photographing and printing, with possible retouching would give a flat image, but it would be an obvious phoney.

The creases are part of it. You would need to get it a lot more flat before doing anything else with it. This is not something that can be reasonable be attempted, just hoping that nothing will go wrong, unless you are already competent to do this. Never risk learning by practicing on customers property. Learn on your own stuff first and it takes more practice than you might think.