Framing Collectibles

Some things we collect along the way become more important to us as time goes by.

Collectibles such as signed posters or signed photographs, signed jerseys, a pennant that flew over Yankee stadium, etc., need special attention.

In my view these sort of items need to be preserved and many times rescued from their owners who may be looking at price and not be looking into the future. Being able to glue an item flat and have it stay flat for all time is not the measure of responsible framing. This may be true with a lot of promotional materials such as publicity materials, etc. However, if the item is worth keeping, it is worth framing responsibly by using proper archival materials and techniques and proper installation.

Inherently acid free materials such as cotton are used in the manufacture of many framing papers and boards and many fabrics are acid free. Matting provides an interval of space keeping the artwork away from the frame which in the case of wood moulding, contains lignin which produces acids and can create “acid burn” turning matting and artwork brown. We’ve all seen old newspapers and books that have turned brown over the years because the paper used was derived from wood pulp.

Also, using a matt provides an interval of space which keeps the artwork away from the picture glass. The moisture can trap condensation and stain artwork. This is the case particularly with photographs when the moisture inside the frame can reactivate the emulsion and will cause the photo to stick to the glass. In my experience, it is impossible to release a photo stuck to glass because of moisture.

If someone knows, please tell me how this can be done!