Dismounting Dry Mounted Prints...

[tomkatf]

Is there any safe way to remove dry mounted prints from old non-archival Crescent mount boards...
I believe I've heard that the Seal Tissue itself acts as a barrier, but would like to be able to re-mount
the prints properly... I probably have 50 prints from several shows I had back in the '70s...!!! Thanks!

Tom

 

[Bob Carnie]

Tom

This sounds like a difficult job, not impossible but tough, you will have to peel away the card from the back carefully without bending the original.
Once you get close to the back of the print, you can try to roller off the tissue much like emulsion stripping.
A wedding lab is a place to show you how to strip away the print, they do this for canvas mounting, at least before canvas digital prints.
Once again I think this is a job where you want lots of time and patience, It also may be helpful to raise the humidity to assist.

I am not a print restorer and there may be some with credentials that can help more than this Physical Removal Approach.

Is there any safe way to remove dry mounted prints from old non-archival Crescent mount boards...
I believe I've heard that the Seal Tissue itself acts as a barrier, but would like to be able to re-mount
the prints properly... I probably have 50 prints from several shows I had back in the '70s...!!! Thanks!

Tom

 

[George Collier]

Is reprinting not possible? Might be easier, plus you'll know about the archival permanence.

 

[M. Lointain]

I have done this before with an iron. If you can heat the edge of the print and get it loose (put a sheet of watercolor paper over it) you can then hold the corner and gently pull it up as you slowly draw the iron across the print. I hope that was clear.

 

[tomkatf]

Hi George,

Unfortunately the negatives for many are gone...

 

[tomkatf]

I have done this before with an iron. If you can heat the edge of the print and get it loose (put a sheet of watercolor paper over it) you can then hold the corner and gently pull it up as you slowly draw the iron across the print. I hope that was clear.

Hmm... that's an interesting idea... I also have a dry mount press, maybe carefully heating them back up and trying your plan would work...

Tx,
Tom

 

[tkamiya]

I tried it myself and it didn't budge.

My fiber print was dry mounted to an archival backer board using low temperature mounting tissue. I reheated it to higher temp than used to see if it would loosen. It didn't.

It might be a case where you can cause more damage than just leaving it alone.... I was just testing with a junk print so no loss for me. If it was a one off deal like yours, I wouldn't try it....

 

[Jim Noel]

AN oven at about 200-225 deg F, and a good thin spatula. The glue melts making it easy to lift the print carefully with the spatula.

 

[Mike Wilde]

Sliding in release paper as you go is a viable approach rather than trying to heat the whole thing at once.

Old Kodak type 1 dry mount can almost be peeled loose cold if it was not done just right the first time.

 

[jeffreyg]

Tom,

If the print cannot be reproduced I would not try to remove it. I have a couple of signed Ansel Adams prints that were purchased already mounted and later over matted at a frame shop. In both cases it appears to me that acid-free board was not used (even by AA). The board is not pristine but there is no damage to the prints. I have had them for 40+ years.

IMO, if it's not broke don't fix it. If you are going to display them use an archival over mat.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[lesm]

Hi George,

Unfortunately the negatives for many are gone...

Is copying an option, either by re-photographing the photos or getting professional scans done?

If you're near a public art gallery they may have a curator who could give you some advice. Good luck. I applaud your dedication to archival quality in mounts. It's worth the effort.

 

[Bob Carnie]

This may be the best advice, you do stand a great chance to wreak the original prints.

Tom,

If the print cannot be reproduced I would not try to remove it. I have a couple of signed Ansel Adams prints that were purchased already mounted and later over matted at a frame shop. In both cases it appears to me that acid-free board was not used (even by AA). The board is not pristine but there is no damage to the prints. I have had them for 40+ years.

IMO, if it's not broke don't fix it. If you are going to display them use an archival over mat.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[tomkatf]

Thanks to all who responded for the many ideas!!!... Will remove acidic overmats and look into having the mounted prints scanned and then rematted with an archival overmat, leaving the prints mounted on their original boards...Probably the safest and least likely to damage the original prints. Thanks again!

Best,
Tom

 

[George Collier]

Re the scanning option - there is also a hybrid work flow of scanning, then outputting a very high screen count film at the print size, then you contact this film onto standard silver paper. Brooks Jensen, of LensWork magazine, used to offer this service. The purpose, as I recall, was to offer a method of producing silver process prints easily, for sale at a lower market price than a standard enlarged print. The idea was that the screen count in the (essentially halftone negative he would provide from the print scan) was too fine to see without magnification. The resulting neg would contain all of the print adjustments, like burning, dodging, etc., so was easier to produce. You would provide him with what you consider a perfect print, and for a fee, he would return the print with a negative which would contact print to match the original. I don't know how well this worked, or if he still offers the service.