WAAC Paper Services

The Department of Paper and Photograph Conservation provides consultation and treatment on a wide range of paper-based art and artifacts. These include artworks such as watercolors, pastels and drawings and art prints including lithographs, etchings, woodcuts, silk screens, etc.; historic and contemporary photographs; and cultural ephemera ranging from documents and maps to pop-consumer items. While the majority of conservation treatments are performed on fine-art works from the Western tradition, the lab has experience and training in the mounting practices of East Asian scrolls and screens on paper and silk. The conservation department also provides archival matting and framing, assists institutions in collections management, and conducts on-site condition and facility assessments for large collections and oversized  projects. Paper conservators can train museum staff in safe handling, housing and storage procedures. The department offers internships to conservation students and serves as a workshop venue for advanced-level conservation training.