Parchment Diploma
Parchment, like any stretched animal skin, is extremely sensitive to moisture. The commercial frame that had been used was not sealed and allowed the parchment to be susceptible to the humid environment which the item was kept, over time the parchment became more and more rippled. It was soiled, creased and had wrinkles throughout. The fibers in the ribbon woven through the document were cracked, torn and had separated with age.
Preservation Process
Carrabba Conservation cleaned the diploma from dust and debris, temporarily removed the ribbon, slowly and carefully introduced humidity into the document just enough to be able to make it supple and stretch it to its original shape. Gradually the document was flattened, a little at a time, under heavy weights. The ribbon was pieced together, mended with heat set tissue and weaved back through the parchment. The diploma was then reframed and sealed into the frame using archival materials.