Extensive Conservation Treatment of a Very Oversized Advertising Poster

Abstract

Oversized paper materials present numerous logistical challenges to the conservator, particularly when space is tight, staff is small, budget is low, and geographical distance is far between treatment location and installation site. Many oversized pieces created for advertising were intended to be ephemeral and were heavily used, on display unprotected for long periods of time, rolled and unrolled frequently, and easily physically damaged. This presentation will focus on the treatment of a seven by nine-foot Cracker Jack poster from the 1910's, a thin lithograph mounted on linen and stored in a Montana barn for years. Conservation over a 15-month period involved removal of the degraded linen, washing and lining of the poster, and a significant amount of fills and inpainting, as well as a partial secondary lining. There were hurdles at every stage of the process due to the massive size of the piece and its planned method of transport and installation. This talk will address those difficulties, and the details of treating and displaying this unique object.
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