Overview

ICS treated a large number of historical plans and maps belonging to the NSW Land and Property Information (LPI). The plans of towns and suburbs within the state of NSW varied in length from 40cm to 1,000cm. In total, the ICS paper conservation team spent almost 2,000 hours treating 613 plans in order to stabilise and prepare them for digitisation.

Condition

The plans varied greatly in condition. Most were in a poor condition and had been adhered to linen or paper backings in order to strengthen them. Typically the plans had multiple tears, areas of lifting or separation from their backings, creases and cracking, and various types of adhesives and tapes (e.g. Sellotape, packing tape, linen tape). The majority had been stored rolled, and years of regular use had contributed significantly to their poor condition.

Treatment

Conservation treatment focused on repair and stabilisation of the plans so they could be handled with ease and to help prevent further damage during the scanning and digitisation process.

• Humidifying and flattening each plan
• Removing tape and adhesive
• Repairing tears in the paper using Japanese paper
• Loosening or lifting pieces adhered to the backing materials
• Additional post-treatment flattening