Lay them out flat, counter to the curve (i.e with the paper domed upward)
and weigh them down with books.  The curve will ease out after a while.  It
would be good to put the drawings between sheets of paper or vellum stock
while they are "uncurling".  As for the acidic paper and crumbling, you will
have to employ a conservator.  Perhaps you could interest your local
historical society or architectural historical society.  It certainly sounds
like it would be worth the time and expense.  If you have trouble finding
support, contact me off list.  I may know of an organization that would be
interested.

Paul Scotton
[log in to unmask]


-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ron May
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 9:41 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Archival Conservation of Architectural Plans

While researching the architectural heritage of Frank O. Wells in San
Diego, 
CA, recently, I encountered a man with a box of Wells' plans for a half  
dozen houses. He agreed to donate them to a local repository for public
benefit,  
as long as I got him copies. The rub is that they are 80-years old, rolled
up, 
 acidic, and in some places crumbling. I took them to the repository, but 
they  want the plans flat and encapsulated. Does anyone on this list have 
experience  with flattening old architectural plans (or archaeology field
maps)? I 
sure  would hate to spend thousands of dollars here.
 
Wells designed a broad range of house styles between 1923 and 1930. After  
being raised in the Arizona mining and saloon industry, he worked in the  
Hollywood silent film industry before studying architecture in Europe. He
arrived 
in San Diego and began drawing plans for Spanish Eclectic and Pueblo  style 
houses (some survive), as well as English and Colonial. After his death at
age 
94, his widow went into conservatorship and the antique dealers dumped all
his 
life work (except the cache of plans we recently found). I feel it would be

a great pity to be unable to save them for posterity.
 
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.