Taking care of an old poster

August 15, 2013 5:43 AM

I just scored an amazing poster from the seventies. It's spent the past few years rolled loose in a storeroom and it's a little bit crunchy. How can I ensure that its wonderfulness endures.

It's a promotional poster, was probably a present to customers, good thick paper, the corners are a bit munched up because someone had it up with poster-pins at some point. I think someone cut a raggedy edge off the top as it's a little uneven. I would love to present this in the nicest way possible and if I could get it a little more supple that would be excellent, it' feels like it wants to crack in one or two places. I'm not going to pay for restauration etc, it's not even officially mine but belongs to my workplace. It's presently rolled out on the floor to flatten it a little.

posted by Iteki to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

When I asked a similar question, someone suggested getting a copy made and hanging/displaying the copy, and storing the original.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:49 AM on August 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

There's information about caring for paper here.
posted by scratch at 6:51 AM on August 15, 2013

Best answer: Humidify and flatten: here's my previous description of how to do this on the cheap. Note that the paper to flatten goes in the smallest container, which I realize on re-reading wasn't originally clear.
posted by nonane at 7:18 AM on August 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Sounds like a pretty definitive answer, thanks! I don't think a copy could capture the depth of some of the colours in this. Will look into getting it put in a frame or somethign so it doesn't get worse.
posted by Iteki at 2:43 PM on August 16, 2013