Paper conservation - current project

View of Innsbruck

Mounting of several prints at the same time

FKB-Vues: Geographic and topographic views from the map collection

The map collection houses the so called FKB-Vues. These are 55 portfolios with around 3.900 prints. Different European landscapes, cities, buildings and topographical singularities are depicted and collected in a geographical order. The collection had been part of the private “Fideikommiß”-library of the Habsburg family which became part of the Austrian National Library after World War I. Most prints belong to the 18^th and 19^th century. There are prints, coloured prints, gouache paintings and photographs.

In combination with a new catalogue and digitization the aim of an ongoing conservation project is to improve condition and storage of these prints. Acidic mounting boards are removed, adhesive tapes are taken off and the prints are surface cleaned when necessary. Tears in the paper are mended. Gouache paintings with flaking paint layers are consolidated. The prints are newly mounted on archival card board with hinges of Japanese paper. The style of the inscriptions is kept in accordance with the historic version. For further storage the historic portfolios continue to be used.