Germany - Due to improper storage in the basement of the old town hall in the 1940s, the files of the "New Archive of the City of Rheine" show pronounced damage and are not usable in their current state and their preservation is at risk. The act...

Description

Due to improper storage in the basement of the old town hall in the 1940s, the files of the "New Archive of the City of Rheine" show pronounced damage and are not usable in their current condition and their preservation is at risk. Some of the files have been contaminated and soaked by sewer water on the outside, which has led to severe moisture damage with microbial infestation, blocking, discoloration and deterioration of the substance. Many writing materials and stamps have bled out. There is also mechanical damage. The stitching is partially damaged. The papers used are extremely heterogeneous in terms of materiality and format and are mostly acidic. Also included are newspaper pages, stapled or stapled printed matter, oversized papers, occasional photographs, rarely writing linen or diazotypes. The files are almost without exception bound in Prussian thread stitching. Their size varies greatly, ranging from a few pages to up to 900 sheets, and the surface cleaning, removal of blocking, deacidification and stabilization of files in damage category 4 are required. In this damage category, the following damage has been recorded: superficial soiling due to clay deposits, partial microbial infestation and substance degradation, mechanical damage to the papers, covers and stitching (see attached photo documentation) The measures to be carried out and the techniques to be used are specified in detail in order to achieve a uniform quality standard for the collection, which has been undergoing processing for years.

Opportunity closing date

24 September 2024

Value of contract

to be confirmed