Kovács Petronella (szerk.): Isis - Erdélyi magyar restaurátor füzetek 5. (Székelyudvarhely, 2006)
Mester Éva: Geometrikus alosztás, felfokozott optikai hatások, visszafogott színezés. Az art deco üvegablakainak általános restaurálási problémái. A Liszt Ferenc Zeneakadémia üvegablakainak restaurálása
posted. In 1999, the Universal Procedure for Archive Assessment (UPAA) provided by the National Archives of Netherlands meant a break-through in the preservation work of the NAH. The assessment was carried out in all the three buildings between 2000 and 2003 and the results were pooled. The essence of the assessment is that the condition of about 300 samples representing the entire collection, which were chosen with statistical methods, is analysed, and the results are registered in a data sheet. After its analysis by a computer program the condition of the entire collection is assessed by the most frequent damage types. The four steps of the sampling procedure are the followings: characterisation of the given collection, measuring the length of the collection (in document metres), determination of the number of the sample and the route of sampling, choice of the samples and registering the references. Two data sheets are used in the assessment of the condition of the samples. One is for the general condition of the document, and in the other one, traces indicating acidity and the degree of the acidity of the paper are registered. The heading tells the general information, then the damage types (mechanical, chemical, biological etc) and their measure (medium, great) are registered as the pack of documents or the volume have been checked. The acidity and the lignin content of the paper are measured with pH and lignin pens. At the determination of the extent of deterioration, it must also be taken into account to what degree it influences studying and what chance there is for information loss. The computer program groups the documents into four categories according to their condition: No. 0. Very good condition, open to study, No. 1. slightly deteriorated, open to study although it may cause damages, No. 2. poorly preserved, studying can reduce its lifetime. No. 3. Very poorly preserved, information is certainly lost at studying. The method is only suitable for the assessment of archival documents and volumes. The results of the assessment surprised even the leaders of the institution. Thirty-nine percent of the examined material was grouped into category No. 3. because of mechanic deteriorations. Apart from the less acidic materials from before the 18th century, 65% of the documents proved to be acidic. Six percent of the documents were gravely acidic, brittle and not studiable, which had urgently to be copied. In consequence of the assessment, the technical condition of the depositories have been analysed, the climate is constantly controlled and registered. In certain depositories, the climate has been improved, and they have been furnished with shutters that reflect light and heat. Dusting of the documents, the walls and the floors have been started, and the shelves have been swept with disinfectant cleaner. The preservation program was prepared in 2004. Original material can only be borrowed for exhibition. A digitalisation program has been started, which affords the withdrawal of original documents from investigation. Heating has become controlled, and the climate of several depositories is controlled with dataloggers in the three buildings. Chemical air filters have been supplied in the climate system of the depositories where photos and acidic documents are kept. Preservation was added to the homepage of the Archives and the training of the staff in this respect has also started. In order to be able to follow the condition of the collection, the UPAA assessment has to be made in every 5—8 years. Katalin Orosz Paper and Leather Conservator MA National Arhives of Hungary H-1014 Budapest, Bécsi kapu tér 4. Judit B. PERJÉS Folk furriers’ works in the collections of museums in the Székelyföld Furriers’ trade is also called complex trade since the same master could do all the stages of work from the tanning of the raw material to the end product. Furriers gathered in guilds already in the 14th century. They worked for citizens and villagers just as well as for the poor and the wealthy. In Transylvania, 1850 furriers worked even in the 1840’s. By the end of the century, their number drastically fell and only a few representatives remained by beginning of the 20th century. As an ancient trade, shepherds and farmers also prepared furry clothes for themselves and their families. Their expertise was different but they actually used the same tanning matters. The sheep was skinned right after slaughtering and the fell was immediately sprayed with salt or the mixture of salt and com flour. It was left alone for a day, and then it was dried in a well aired space. At taning, the fell was turned with the fur outside and immersed in a vat full of tan pickle for five-six days. Tan pickle was the decoction of salt (sodium chloride), alum (potassium-aluminium sulphate), bran, barley or com flour, groats, and grits mixed with sour milk and whey to advance leavening. Taning with whey is considered to be the oldest, while the use of groats is a later invention. Only the furriers used alum. Skin tanned in tan pickle with whey could not be washed, while the one tanned with groats and com flour had to be washed until it became clean. The skin was dried in a shady place, then stretched in its length. Bleaching was made on a bleaching wood with a bleaching knife, while lime powder was strewn on it to temper the skin. If any meaty spot remained, the skin was skived. Skins meant to be coloured were also bleached and skived. The names of the working phases and the clothes were different in the various regions, yet the steps were the same - taking the measurements, cutting, assembling, sewing, embroidering, fur-trimming, preparing pockets and sewing them on the clothes and the preparation of buttons and button-holes. Cutting was usually made after a hard paper pattem. The stitches were sometimes covered with embroidered leather bands. The bottom and the arm and necklines were trimmed with leather bands of the same skin or coloured leather. Dyeing'. reddish lilac colour was prepared from cochineal, while 143
