The following is a guest post by Anna Zastrow, Conservation Technician in the Conservation Division.
One fall day, a gentleman walked through the front doors of the James Madison Memorial Building to donate one of the craziest objects I’ve ever had the pleasure to work on. He had connected with staff from the Recorded Sound Research Center (RSRC) at the 2019 National Book Festival. There, he told them about a contraption gathering dust, at the back of a closet. With interests piqued and connections made, the contraption soon began its journey to the Library of Congress.
The contraption in question is an Explainette. When closed, the machine is a surprisingly heavy, but unassuming metal briefcase. Upon opening though, you’ll find a turntable stowed vertically that can be set on a spindle next to a small slide projector. The top of the case folds up to become a mini projection screen with metal shelving for film canisters and a compartment to store extra light bulbs.
And what is all of this for? The Explainette was produced in the mid-1950’s by Operadio in conjunction with the Jam Handy Corporation to be a traveling training and education tool. Our Explainette was used by Chevrolet to train its salesmen and what’s really special— it came with all of the original film strips, LPs, and pamphlets in their original box. Together, the machine and accompanying materials are a veritable time capsule of 1950’s culture and technology.
But how do you treat an object that is so varied in function and material? The answer of course, consult with a variety of experts. To establish a plan, I spoke to many of my colleagues – preservation specialists, a photo conservator, paper conservators, book conservators, and object conservators.
Objects that have lived at a car dealership for 70 years acquire a fair bit of dirt and grime. Everything had to be cleaned, just not quite the same way. Most items were cleaned with a combination of a dry soft-bristled brush, cotton swab, and cosmetic sponge. The audiovisual materials were in good condition and those that needed minor cleaning were cleaned using compressed air from a hand pump. The outer portion of the case presented a slight challenge because of the coated texture that created many small crevices. To clean this I needed a small, stiff– bristled brush. After much testing of brushes throughout the lab, I found a toothbrush, used in conjunction with a mild enzymatic solution, to be just the ticket. The toothbrush was selected for the rigidity of its bristles and the precision control it provided. The solution was applied to the brush then the brush was worked in small, gentle circles across the surface. Excess solution was removed using cotton swabs.
Once everything was clean, the real work could begin. Areas of paint on the machine that were flaking were coated in an adhesive layer to prevent them from continuing to lose material. Many of the rubber pieces on the machine were beginning to deteriorate so they were coated with a consolidant to help minimize further loss and cracking.
The film strips were removed from their original metal canisters and wound on archival-grade spools. The LPs were transferred from their original sleeves to more supportive, acid-free sleeves. All the while, care was taken to track what materials belonged to what original containers. Because it was important for RSRC to be able to show the piece in its entirety, reproduction LPs were created using mat board and photo reproductions of the LP labels to fill the original paper sleeves in the associated materials box.
The biggest treatment challenge turned out to be repair of the associated materials box. It had been partially crushed at some point, causing tearing along the back joint where the lid attached to the box and tearing at several corners. In addition to this, the back two inches of the left side of the lid had been lost completely. There was also loss of the green covering paper along the edges.
The first step to making these sorts of structural repairs was to choose a paper that was a similar thickness to the original and tone it to match the bright green color and sheen of the box. The paper was toned using a combination of watered-down acrylic paint and several layers of methyl cellulose to mimic the sheen of the original paper. From there, the shapes of areas missing material were traced onto a transparent sheet of polyester, then using a light box to project the shape, cut from the toned paper. These pieces were adhered into place along with larger pieces used for structural support and repair. To replicate the missing corner, archival cardstock of a similar thickness was shaped and covered with the matching toned paper, then adhered in place with a backing layer for support.
Once everything was repaired, the LP reproductions, empty film canisters, and pamphlets were returned to the box. As for the machine, we decided it should be stored in two pieces to minimize continued wear of the turntable and electrical cord. This also enables it to be easily shown to visitors in the RSRC reading room on Capitol Hill. The final storage boxes were customized based on the needs of the objects and storage space available in RSRC. Supports were added to minimize strain where necessary.
And with that, the project was complete and returned to its home in RSRC, where it is regularly displayed for tours and special events!
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