WORLD CONFERENCE ON RECORDS AND GENEALOGICAL SEMINAR MATERIALS FOR THE CREATION OF RECORDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73-00402R000100140015-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 19, 2006
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: August 5, 1969
• Content Type: REPORT

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WORLD CONFERENCE
ON RECORDS
AND GENEALOGICAL SEMINAR
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.
5-8 August 1969
MATERIALS FOR THE CREATION OF RECORDS
Part I
Papers and Inks
By
Bernard G. Barrow, LL. B.
"Record Protection in
an Uncertain World"
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Part I'
PAPERS AND INKS
By Bernard G. Barrow, LL.B..
1. Papers
It is often surprising to record handlers that many
modern papers are in worse disrepair. than ancient ones.
Throughout history, materials containing cellulose have been
used by man to record his thoughts. Papyrus, cloth, wood,
palm leaves, and paper, among others, derive their physical
strength from cellulose. Paper has replaced earlier writing
materials, and with man's ever-increasing knowledge and
technological sophistication, the demand for paper has likewise
escalated. Unfortunately, its quality has. not.
Prior to the nineteenth century papermaking was.a
relatively static art. The demand for greater quantities of
paper brought about inventions and innovations during the 1800'x,
many of which adversely affected paper's lifespan.
Chronologically, the first such development was the
invention of chlorine bleach in 1774. Chlorine could whiten
dyed and discolored rags previously not used for papermaking.
Not only was weaker cloth used, but excess chlorine was capable
of weakening the fibers further)
The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 increased
the production of cotton and introduced it as a competitor
to flax (linen) which had been the principal papermaking fiber.'
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The papermaking machine (Fourdrinier) was.invented
early in the eighteen hundreds and was.used generally by mid-
century. Since shorter fibers could be used in the machine
mold, weaker paper resulted.
The use of alum (with rosin) as sizing for paper
(sizing gives wet strength so that ink will not feather) is
perhaps the most deleterious of the inventions mentioned. Alum
rosin size replaced gelatin/glue sizes in the United.States by
mid-century. Alum (aluminum sulfate) is an acidic substance
and. excessive use leaves an acidic residue in the paper..
Unfortunately, it seems that alum was seldom measured. It
is believed that alum and rosin react in such a way that
sulfuric acid is liberated.1 Some researchers feel this is
the major cause of rapid deterioration in papers produced after
The invention of the groundwood process was perhaps
the landmark in making economical but short-lived paper. Both
cellulose and non-cellulose material from wood constitutes this
paper. The.-non-cellulose particles produce both weakness and
short lifespan. Newspapers made. of groundwood discolor and
become brittle quickly when exposed to light and air which
initiate a breakdown of non-cellulose particles. Protected,
newsprint's lifespan may be as little as 15-20 years.
-2-
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The quality of book papers produced in the 19th
and 20th centuries progressively degenerated as the demand for
paper increased. Studies of papers produced between 1800 and
1949 indicate a formidable problem of paper deterioration, the
magnitude of which has not previously been recognized or
appreciated by the librarian and archivist.-, 2
The book papers produced during the 19th Century
and examined in these studies demonstrate.a gradual transition
of papers of diminishing strength. The papers produced between
1800 and 1849 consisted entirely of all rag papers and were the,
strongest of the papers tested for the entire century even
though they were the oldest. Papers produced in the 1850's
were less than half the strength of those produced in the 1840's,
and the strength of the papers produced during the 1860's was
half that of those produced during the 1850's. Finally, the
papers of the 1870's through the 1890'.s were.. the weakest
produced in that century.
Even more disturbing are the results of a study of
the physical strength of book papers used from 1900 to 1949.
Of all of the books examined which were produced between 1900
and 1939, 39% were very weak and could only stand limited use.
Even moderate use would cause these volumes to crack and they,
could not be expected to last more than 25 years. Forty-nine.
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percent of the same group indicated that they would most likely
deteriorate to the very weak category within 25 years and that
their endurance would be less than newsprint. Only 1% of this
group showed marked durability, the remaining 9% were found
to be of medium strength which with moderate use might survive
25 to 50 years. In other words, by the end of this century,
almost 90% of the book papers produced in.the first forty.
years of the century will have deteriorated to a point at which
they can only stand limited use.
In this same study, the samples examined which
were produced during the period 1940 to 1949 had only aged
from 7 to 17 years at the time of the study. Yet, 57% of them
were already of low strength and would most likely deteriorate
to limited usefulness within 25 years. Thus, the archivist
has only begun to encounter the problems of preserving an
aging record collection. Deterioration of records is and will
be progressing at an ever increasing rate because of the
last
diminished strength of the papers produced during the/160 years.
With respect to presently existing records this
points out the need fora conscious and planned. program of'
restoration and preservation.' Much research and development
is needed to lower the.cost without reducing the effectiveness
of present day methods of restoration.,
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For future collections, this history of papermaking
points out the need-for the use of permanent and durable paper
for the production of records. Under the auspices of_the
Virginia State Library and with a grant from the council on
Library Resources, Inc., William James Barrow developed a
permanent and.durable paper.2' 3 This paper, manufactured
by the chemical wood process, is alkaline, has long, strong
fibers, and has high tear and fold resistance. Its life
expectancy is between 300 and 1,000 years. Efforts must now
be..made to insure that papers such as this be employed in the
.production of. current records. Upholding the standards of
permanent and durable paper, and encouraging its wide-spread
use is essential.
Throughout history the most common writing inks
were composed of carbon or iron. and galls. Carbon inks contained
soot, lampblack or.some type of charcoal, gum arabic, and a
solvent such as water. Carbon inks, however,. smudged and
could easily be washed from the paper.
On the other -hand, iron gall inks, made from
copperas (ferrous sulfate) galls, gun arabic:and a solvent,
were difficult to remove from paper., since they penetrated the
paper fibers.
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In manufacturing this ink, sulfuric acid was formed
by a chemical reaction between ferrous sulfate and the organic
acids of the galls. Heavy deposits of ink. (particularly-black
ink) actually burned into the paper, in time producing holes.
Occasionally papers are seen in which the acid has migrated to
large writing. areas producing dark brown or black discoloration.
Lesser amounts of acid will discolor adjacent sheets of.writing
and produce reversed brown writing.4
Iron inks, by causing weak, brittle sheets, have
increased the rapidity of paper deterioration. A study at
the National Bureau of Standards by Zimmerman and Kimberly
showed that the mineral acid of iron inks and copperas were
detrimental to paper, but that the other ingredients were not.
Early printing inks. contained a pigment (carbon black
or soot for black ink) and a ,binder such as boiled linseed oil.
The oil oxidized-and polymerized forming an encrustation around
the paper fibers. The black printing inks were the most
permanent, and only occasionally injurious to paper.
Data from a sampling of 19th century book papers
showed that about 13% of 160 papers (with 25 folds or more)
lost some strength due to ingredients in printing ink. Compared
to writing inks of the period however, printing ink did little
damage.' Modern printing inks have similar qualities and are
generally non-injurious.
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1. Barrow (W. J.) Research Laboratory. Permanence/Durability
of the Book - V, Strength and Other Characteristics
of Book Papers 1800-1899. Richmond, 1967. (W. J.
Barrow Research Laboratory Publications, No. 5.)
2. Virginia State Library. Deterioration of Book'Stock -
Causes and Remedies; Two Studies on the Permanence
of Book Paper.. Conducted by W. J. Barrow. Edited
by. Randolph W. Church, Richmond, 1959. (Virginia
State Library Publications, No. 10.)
3. Virginia State Library.. The Manufacture and Testing of
Durable Book Papers. Based on the investigation of
W. J. Barrow. Edited by Randolph W. Church.
Richmond, 1960. (Virginia State Library Publications,
No. 13.)
4. Barrow, W. J., Manuscripts and Documents: Their Deterioration
and Restoration. 6ha-rlottesville, University of
Virginia Press, 1955.
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