8 Feb
2002
8 Feb
'02
10:52 a.m.
Joe wrote:
Another thought: Newspapers. It is shocking how poorly modern newspapers meet the test of time. I own bound volumes more than 150 years old that are in better shape than copies of my own articles printed 20 or 30 years ago. The big difference is that old newspapers used rag paper, while modern papers use pulp paper. Apparently, manufacturing paper from wood pulp requires chemicals that make the paper yellow and fragile within a few years.
Yep, and that chemical is an ACID. Now you see why acid-free materials are favored by archivists. Rag content is still a benchmark of quality paper. The higher the rag content, the pricier the paper. C.