Margit J. Smith: The first 'Internationale Konferenz zur Erhaltung und Ausbesserung alter Handschriften', St. Gallen 1898.

The title of my presentation is the first 'Internationale Konferenz zur Erhaltung und Ausbesserung alter Handschriften', which was held in St. Gallen in 1898.  The conference was attended by nearly 20 library directors and conservators from 12 countries. Main points of discussion were effectiveness and safe use of preventive and active conservation measures for various paper damages, e.g. the effects of iron gall ink on paper, the use of Zapon as a consolidant of degraded paper, other restoration and strengthening procedures then in effect, as well as the importance of international collaboration and cooperation. At the end of the conference the members signed four resolutions which point to future preservation and conservation techniques suitable for uses on degraded papers and photographs.