Application of capillarity systems to the graphic and documentary heritage conservation: A line of research at the Universidad de Granada

Abstract

The study provides an overview of our research team’s experiences relating to the application of capillary systems in graphic works and documents conservation. The team employed systems for the cleaning and deacidification of two collections: the School Maps from the University Archive, and the Drawings by Martín Morales, both property of the Peña de la Platería de Granada. We present the results derived from the adaption and improvement of the capillary system methodology in its use as a vehicle for different solutions in treatments in which it has not been used until now. In the first, the combination of capillary systems based on the communicating vessels and contact-absorption principles made it possible to treat structurally complex, large-scale documents comprising multiple supports and different material strata. This, while minimizing any physical and chemical risks and avoiding to disassemble the document and apply other treatments that can constitute potential stress factors for the document. In the second, we experimented with the use of the capillary system as a vehicle for cleaning and deacidification solutions on works featuring graphic techniques highly sensitive to humidity, applying the solutions over several phases. We achieved optimal results that have now opened new lines of research.