Presented by Sherry Guild and Amanda Gould of the Canadian Conservation Institute, to the Rideau Township Historical Society, October, 2008.

For the October meeting, RTHS members were treated to the behind-the-scenes story of the restoration of the 1863 Walling's Map of Carleton Country, now on display at the Rideau Township Archives. (Kindly donated by Mrs. Bessie Sadler Gray)

Sherry Guild is a Conservator specializing in works on paper with the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI).She described her agency's mission and the "Cadilac treatment" this map received. Co-presenter Amanda Gould is also a paper conservator. Gould performed most of the 100 hours of restoration this project required while taking part in a CCI internship program.

Using photos taken along the way, Gould described a process that begins with careful documentation and analysis of the source material to develop the best restoration plan. For this map, those steps included two baths in ethanol solvent to remove old varnish, using a special 6' x 6' stainless steel tray. The paper map was next washed to remove old stains and the original fabric backing was removed. Thinner portions of the map were filled in with a slurry made from fragments of original paper that came off with the fabric.

The map was then remounted for rigid support, onto Japanese tissue, made with long-fibre, plant-based material, which lasts longer than paper made from wood fibre. Restorative work was done to finish the edges and lost colour was replaced. A coat of wax finished the job. Cleaned, strengthened and stored in a new protective glass case, Guild and Gould guesstimate the map should be good for another 150 years.

Reached by phone after the presentation, the CCI's Sherry Guild spoke of how gratifying it is to see such maps being used again in their home communities, reconnecting people with family and regional history.

The CCI was created in 1972 as a Special Operating Agency within the Department of Heritage Canada. CCI frequently performs restoration work at no charge for qualifying non-profit organizations, as time permits. The agency offers a wealth of technical bulletins and practical information on their website, including an excellent general-topic page for common questions about preserving books, fabric, photographs, and so forth. See for yourself at: https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/care-objects.html