Bark Paper of the Americas and Pacific Tapa: Care and Conservation

FAIN: PG-280758-21

Georgia Tech Research Corporation (Atlanta, GA 30318-6395)
Virginia Katherine Howell (Project Director: January 2021 to October 2022)

A preservation assessment of a collection of bark papers and tapa cloth (a kind of bark paper) and the tools used to create them, within the collection of the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. A conservator would make recommendations on appropriate storage for the collection and review each piece of bark paper to create a condition status report and denote conservation needs. There are approximately 75 examples of bark papers and tapa in the collection, as well as 25 tools related to their production and five examples of the raw plant material used for manufacture, dating from 1850 to the 1950s, representing global and continuous traditions of papermaking.

The goal of Bark Paper of the Americas and Pacific Tapa: Care and Conservation is to perform condition surveys of approximately 100 artifacts in the museum collection related to the production of bark paper and tapa cloth. A conservator will provide an item specific condition assessment for approximately 100 Tapa and bark cloth items, assess housing needs and provide creative solutions, produce a written report addressing condition, specific needs, and long-term care recommendations. Museum staff and trained volunteers will assist in the conservation assessment. Museum staff also will work with a photographer to secure high-resolution images of each object. The photographs will be available for future research, museum programs, collections reference, and exhibition purposes. Movement and placement of artifacts will be under the supervision of trained museum staff. The photographer will perform post-production work on the images, and provide digital copies.

Associated Products

Taking a Closer Look: Museum Artifact Condition (Blog Post)
Title: Taking a Closer Look: Museum Artifact Condition
Author: Virginia Howell
Abstract: The Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking received a National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistance Grant to perform a condition survey of bark paper materials in the museum collection. The article details the importance and significance of bark papers, the survey process, discoveries and next steps.
Date: 03/01/2022
Primary URL: https://paper.gatech.edu/taking-closer-look-museum-artifact-condition
Primary URL Description: A direct link to the article.
Secondary URL: http://www.paper.gatech.edu
Secondary URL Description: A direct link to the overall museum webpage.
Website: Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking Website

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