Histarch readers:
 
I am currently at the tail end of a 5-week data recovery project in a small
Chinese American community in California.  We recently exposed a feature
containing 20+ brass opium tins and lots of other opium associated materials.
 Six of the opium tins still have paper labels in excellent condition and I
am concerned that they will begin to disintegrate.  Any suggestions on
treatment, cleaning, preservation of these fragile items?
 
Mary Maniery
Sacramento, CA