Preserving and Sharing the Popular Music of the Past: A Case Study in Conservation of a Nineteenth-Century Sheet Music Collection

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn this case study, we examine the conservation strategies created for the 19th-Century French Sheet Music Collection at the Marvin Duchow Music Library, McGill University. Many pieces in the collection were glued to acidic cardboard backings by the original collector, which both harmed the sheet music and obscured important information. Thus, prior to digitizing the collection, these backings needed to be removed without harming the fragile items themselves. Drawing on relevant conservation literature, we present the conservation work procedure (in particular, two aqueous cleaning methods) developed in consultation with an outside expert in the field of conservation.