BISHOP MUSEUM
Art Conservation Handout
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY
FOR WORKS OF ART ON PAPER
Introduction
We all know Hawai'i is not immune to natural disasters such as hurricanes,
earthquakes, tsunamis or uncontrolled fire. Knowing how to react in such a situation is
everyone's responsibility. The Honolulu Fire Department and the Hawai'i State Civil
Defense have invaluable advice leaflets on disaster preparedness. Everyone should be
familiar with this information for their own safety. This handout was written to assist
people in salvaging important or valuable paper objects in the event of a large or small
disaster which results in flood or fire damage. Thought and preparation will eliminate
panic and assure that proper decisions will be made and carried out step-by-step. This is
very important with objects made of paper whether they are framed or unframed works of
art, documents, records, photographs or books.
Paper is an organic material and is exposed to greater dangers during fires or
floods than are ceramic, metal, stone or glass objects. Paper expands as it absorbs
moisture and shrinks as it dries out. Effects of this include distortion of the paper itself,
flaking of surfaces such as paint or gold leaf, swelling of adhesives, and splitting and
warping of bindings. Inks, dyes, pigments or coatings may be soluble in water and will
bleed when wet. Paper will burn at low temperatures and has a porous surface into which
soot particles will embed themselves. At raised temperatures and humidities, mold
growth proceeds rapidly causing irreversible damage. Planning ahead will reduce these
types of damages and limit the cost of recovery.
Prevention
The first thing which should be considered when thinking of preventive measures
is the environment (i.e., the house or apartment) in which you live. Are drains and gutters
regularly cleaned? Does the roof leak or do you see stains on the ceilings? Are paper
items stored in a room below ground level or under an air conditioning unit or water
pipes? Perhaps an upsta