German photo album interleaving paper

[Emily Mohney]

In our collection we have lots of pre-WWII/WWII era photo albums from German families. A majority of these albums have sheets of interleaving with a spider web pattern.

I would like to know the story behind this seemingly popular pattern, if anyone has more information. I am also concerned about it damaging the photos. Should I place acid-free or mylar interleaving in front of and behind each page of spider web interleaving?

Thank you.

[Marcela Szekely]

Hi Emily, I have also come across the same interleaving papers for the same period German albums, which is very interesting. I believe that if the photos are in good condition, then it may seem unnecessary to add a barrier between the original interleavings and the pictures, which may add a lot of thickness and tension to the spine of the album. This tension may cause the album eventually to be dismantled.

[Jane E Klinger]

We have several albums with similar interleaving paper in the spider web pattern and in other patterns. I agree with Marcela but would add that the condition of entire album should be taken into account – the binding, the album covers, the mounting mechanism, etc. These types of interleaving papers seem to be fairly robust. If we are talking about the same thing, then I will add I have not seen any that have yellowed or become brittle, though some of them are rather stiff. Folds should be carefully flattened out so as not to imprint on the photographs. And I agree, it would be interesting to investigate the manufacture of these papers. Please share any research you are able to accomplish.

[Mauro Mazzini]

It may be difficult to define what are a “good” condition since you may not have a reference, since one photo of the same kind, in the album, that wasn’t in contact with the interleaving.

 

There’s a lot of info and opinions about these kind of glassine papers, in their classic and “conservation ok” versions. Try to search even in this same site.

Even if for me its a relatively dangerous material (too acid, fragile, and if there’s a problem like high mudity raise or even water contact it tends to become so sticky that it can destroy the photos it seems to protect by melting with the binder), changing someting in a complex object like a photo album its always complicated. And, to take something Marcela said, invasive interventions where things seems to be stabilised its most of times more damaging than keeping it like this.

[Marcia Anderson]

Mauro: You always offer insightful and knowledgeable information.  Thank you.

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