Conservation

Chinese posters from the second half of the twentieth century were usually produced in huge print runs and intended for short-term display - whether in the street, workplace or home. The examples that have survived until today will naturally show signs of wear according to their age. In particular, posters from the Great Leap Forward period of the late 1950s and early 1960s were often printed on very low-quality paper stock due to a lack of resources in the country.

Posters printed on particularly fragile paper often benefit from being backed onto linen or Japanese paper. These are both reversible conservation methods that help to clean and stabilise the artwork, and ensure that your poster will have a significantly longer lifespan. A small amount of restoration work can also be carried out during the backing process, which is ideal for repairing any tears. Linen and Japanese backing are generally accepted as increasing the value of the piece, in contrast to standard wet or dry mounting which can destroy the artwork's value.

We use Ph7 Paper Conservators in London for Japanese backing and can arrange for your poster to be backed on Japanese paper or linen if required.

When framing your poster we recommend that conservation grade materials be applied throughout. The framing should also be fully reversible - meaning it would be possible to remove the piece from its frame in the future without causing any damage to the artwork. UV resistant glazing or acrylic is an important consideration; there are several grades available but even the some of the lower cost options reputedly achieve up to 99% protection from UV rays. Either pH neutral conservation mountboard or 100% cotton museum mountboard should be used to impede any further chemical deterioration of the paper - tapes and other materials used should also be of this standard. A valuable artwork should also never be framed against the glazing - always in a window mount or using spacers to provide an air gap. This prevents any moisture which may form on the inside of the glazing from damaging the poster.

We use HMC bespoke framers based in Cambridge, members of the Fine Art Trade Guild, and can arrange for your poster to be framed to conservation or museum standard on request.

If you would like any more information on backing or framing your poster please contact us at info@eastredgallery.com