Baptismal Certificate
The family who brought this 1935 German Baptismal certificate to the lab was doubtful that it could be fixed. It had been rolled and stored in a tube for years. The certificate was curled and attempts by interested relatives to open, read, and look at it produced more cracking, tears and losses. The clear plastic tape that was meant to mend the certificate had become discolored and brittle over time and would begin to stain unless removed.
Carrabba Conservation, Inc. gently cleaned the surface of the document and removed the tape with solvents. Then each brittle piece of the puzzle was humidified and flattened, then rejoined to form a flattened clean document. The pieces were mended and reinforced as needed with wheat starch paste and repair tissue. Finally the entire document was lined to a single sheet of archival paper so that it could be framed and enjoyed by the family for generations to come.