Islendingers brev til Ole Worm Dokumentasjon, tilstandsvurdering og forslag til konservering

Abstract

This case study has sought to understand how an old mount and its mounting materials made of different paper qualities might contribute to the degradation and damage to the letter-collection it is housing. Further, it is discussed how one, as a conservator can evaluate which conservation treatment secures further preservation in a historical, physical and functional sense. The object of this study has been a 17th Century letter-collection (AM 267 fol) belonging to the Arnamagnæan Institute at the University of Copenhagen. The letters were sent to the Dane Ole Worm from 16 different Icelanders. The letter-collection itself contains different kinds of paper qualities, and has signs of old restorations in form of patching done with parchment-paper. The study gives a documentation of AM 267 fol, a condition survey, and a proposition for the conservation to be done. The issues at hand are also discussed from a theoretical point of view. The proposition for conservation was carried out on one representative folder as an example.