Prints stuck to glass

[George Collier]

I am archiving some old images for my church and setting up conservation for the originals. In scanning them, I am removing any that have been framed (you wouldn't believe what people used - cardboard, newspaper backing, etc - maybe you would believe. . .)

Many of them were not matted, and the emulsion is stuck to the glass. These prints are decades old, some taken with an older "banquet" camera, 7-8" x 18" or so, and are the only prints we will ever have. They are stuck only in a couple of places (small enough to repair the scan in PShop), but I want to separate them from the glass for archiving. The largest area is roundish, about 1 x 2 inches.

Can I soak the whole thing in water, or some solution? For how long? Then try to peel off? Should I just store with the glass in a protected (stiff backed) container?

Any help would be appreciated. (I can post a scan if helpful)

 

[removed account4]

hi george

a few years back i had a similar problem
not banquet prints or anything large but just the same ...

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

warm water soak and fotoflo seems to be the consensus
that, and well, using a skaaanaar.

good luck ( fun project ! )
john

 

[kevs]

Hi George, I can't help directly, but there are past threads which might be useful to you:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

You might find this thread from another forum useful. http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/history-conservation-repair/1664-removing-photos-stuck-glass.html

Cheers,
kevs

 

[bsdunek]

Yes, soak until they come loose without any (further) damage. Then wash and dry just like new prints. As these are probably not RC prints, take that into account and treat as FB paper.

 

[George Collier]

Thanks for the replies. I have already scanned them through the glass (the long ones took two, then pieced together) the results surprisingly good. I thought about soaking, but I'm concerned that if it doesn't free them, then what? If I let the whole thing dry, then I'm worse off. I guess I could try some water with PFlo just on the area and keep it wet, maybe with a wad of cotton over the area for a couple hours, then if it doesn't work, not much lost.
It is fiber paper, single weight, my guess from the 40s or 50s, and the prints were originally ferrotyped.

 

[TheToadMen]

Tought about soaking, but I'm concerned that if it doesn't free them, then what? If I let the whole thing dry, then I'm worse off. I guess I could try some water with PFlo just on the area and keep it wet, maybe with a wad of cotton over the area for a couple hours, then if it doesn't work, not much lost.

Hi George,
I have no experience what so ever with your problem, but aren't you afraid that, if you just keep it wet on the area that sticks, you'll get distortions in the paper after drying? The paper might stretch and shrink unevenly or leave drying marks around the wet spot.
And if it is like FB paper, this could be even worse?
I think I would try one photo at first: the one best scanned and most unimportant if lost. Or the one with a small sticking area at a corner.
Or - even better - on a similar photo that isn't sticking at all, but you don't want to keep anyway. Tape it to a sheet of glass and try some water with PFlo just on a small area and keep it wet. Then dry and see what happens.

Let us know how it worked out!

 

[Benoît99]

There's a detailed video on YouTube:
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=sCguXhNaLXs&desktop_uri=/watch?v=sCguXhNaLXs