Line, Shade and Shadow
The Fabrication and Preservation of Architectural Drawings
As documents of the built environment, as source material for architectural historians and preservation architects, and as stunning works of art, architectural drawings serve a wide and diverse audience.
This book explores the materials and techniques used in their fabrication while illustrating their evolution from the eighteenth through the twentieth century. In addition to documenting the drafting process, this exploration also contributes to an understanding of the development of architectural design, the architectural profession, and the manufacturers that served its drafting and reprographic needs.
Because architectural drawings survive in great numbers and in large, often unstable formats, preservation and access issues present major challenges for institutions that hold research collections. This book provides a comprehensive look at both the problems and the solutions. It is beautifully illustrated with examples from major collections and includes extensive source citations.
The first three chapters discuss: the development of drafting-specific drawing, detail, and tracing papers and cloths; the changing media and techniques used in drafting, rendering, and mounting working, detail, and presentation drawings; the use of drawing instruments and correction and copying methods; and the introduction, development, and identification of blueprints and other photo-reproduction processes, including the history, chemistry, and working procedure for each process. The fourth and final chapter includes: an introduction to preservation, collection management, storage, and exhibition specifically for architectural drawings and photo-reproductions; and descriptions of specific conservation treatments with an assessment of their appropriateness for different deterioration issues and types of drawings.
The University of Mary Washington Center for Historic Preservation has awarded the 2011 Historic Preservation Book Prize to Line, Shade and Shadow: The Fabrication and Preservation of Architectural Drawings by Lois Olcott Price.
This book explores the materials and techniques used in their fabrication while illustrating their evolution from the eighteenth through the twentieth century. In addition to documenting the drafting process, this exploration also contributes to an understanding of the development of architectural design, the architectural profession, and the manufacturers that served its drafting and reprographic needs.
Because architectural drawings survive in great numbers and in large, often unstable formats, preservation and access issues present major challenges for institutions that hold research collections. This book provides a comprehensive look at both the problems and the solutions. It is beautifully illustrated with examples from major collections and includes extensive source citations.
The first three chapters discuss: the development of drafting-specific drawing, detail, and tracing papers and cloths; the changing media and techniques used in drafting, rendering, and mounting working, detail, and presentation drawings; the use of drawing instruments and correction and copying methods; and the introduction, development, and identification of blueprints and other photo-reproduction processes, including the history, chemistry, and working procedure for each process. The fourth and final chapter includes: an introduction to preservation, collection management, storage, and exhibition specifically for architectural drawings and photo-reproductions; and descriptions of specific conservation treatments with an assessment of their appropriateness for different deterioration issues and types of drawings.
The University of Mary Washington Center for Historic Preservation has awarded the 2011 Historic Preservation Book Prize to Line, Shade and Shadow: The Fabrication and Preservation of Architectural Drawings by Lois Olcott Price.
Lois Olcott Price is Director of Conservation and Senior Conservator of Library Collections at the Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE. She holds an MS in art conservation and serves as Assistant Winterthur Professor in the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. She also holds an MA in American Material Culture from the University of Delaware. Since 1991, she has pursued a long-standing research interest on the fabrication and preservation of American architectural drawings. In support of her research she has received several grants and has lectured, consulted, and published widely on issues related to architectural drawings.
[The book] "offers both a beautifully illustrated exploration of the evolution of architectural drawing craft and an innovative discussion of the preservation of these drawings." - Andréa Livi Smith, jury chair of the Historic Preservation Book Prize and director of UMW's Center for Historic Preservation (http://www.umw.edu/news/?a=2024)
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Introduction
FABRICATION of ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS PRIOR to 1860
Drawing Instruments
Paper Selection
Paper Preparation
Laying Out the Drawing
Inking In the Drawing
Technique
Materials
Shadow, Tint, and Shade
Watercolor
Technique
Materials
Corrections
Presentation
Copying
Endnotes
FABRICATION of ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS 1860–1940
Drawing Instruments
Paper Selection
Drawing Papers
Cartridge Papers
Tinted Papers
Detail Papers
Supported Papers
Cross-Section and Profile Papers
Paper Preparation
Tracing Papers
Prepared Papers
Vegetable Parchment
Natural Paper and Imitation Parchment
Tracing Cloth
Laying Out
Inking In
Pen and Ink Style
Beaux Arts Style
Working Drawings
Drawings over Photographs
Black Inks
Colored Inks
Technology
Tints, Shades, and Shadows
Watercolor
Techniques
Materials
Dry Media
Technique
Materials
Corrections
Presentation
Copying
Endnotes
PHOTOREPRODUCTIVE PROCESSES
The Chemistry
Supports
Sensitizing the Support
Printing and Processing
Iron Processes
Blueprint
Positive Blueprint
Pellet Print
Vandyke Print
Positive Vandyke Print
Ferro-Gallic Print
Sources for Iron Processes
Silver Processes
Salted Paper and Albumen Prints
History
Silver Gelatin Contact and Reflex-Contact Prints
Photostat
CB Print
Autopositive
Camera-Copying
Sources for Silver Processes
Synthetic Dye Processes
Aniline Print
Diazo
Hectograph
Sources for Synthetic Dye Processes
Ink and Carbon Processes
Lithography and Photo-Lithography
Powder-Carbon Processes
Direct Carbon Processes
Gel-Lithograph
Electrostatic Prints
Sources for Carbon Processes
Endnotes
PRESERVATION of ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS
Patterns of Deterioration
Deterioration of Original Drawings and Handmade Copies
Supports
Media
Ink
Watercolor
Dry Media
Deterioration of Photoreproductions
Iron-Based Prints
Silver-Based Prints
Synthetic Dye-Based Prints
Carbon-Based Prints
Significant Sensitivities of Photoreproductions
Preservation and Collection Management
Intellectual Control
Collection Conservation Surveys
Sample Survey Form for Rehousing
Environment
Storage and Handling
Storage Furniture
Storage Enclosures
Formats
Special Storage Problems and Cautions
Handling
Exhibition
Lighting Issues
Exhibit Mounts
Special Mounting Problems
Framing
Disaster Salvage and Recovery
Vulnerabilities
Salvage
Recovery
Recovery Summary
Copying and Reformatting
Reformatting
Copying
Conservation Treatment
Surface Cleaning
Humidification
Flattening
Mending
Lining or Mounting
Bathing
Alkalization
Tape Removal and Stain Reduction
Endnotes
Glossary
Index
Foreword
Introduction
FABRICATION of ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS PRIOR to 1860
Drawing Instruments
Paper Selection
Paper Preparation
Laying Out the Drawing
Inking In the Drawing
Technique
Materials
Shadow, Tint, and Shade
Watercolor
Technique
Materials
Corrections
Presentation
Copying
Endnotes
FABRICATION of ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS 1860–1940
Drawing Instruments
Paper Selection
Drawing Papers
Cartridge Papers
Tinted Papers
Detail Papers
Supported Papers
Cross-Section and Profile Papers
Paper Preparation
Tracing Papers
Prepared Papers
Vegetable Parchment
Natural Paper and Imitation Parchment
Tracing Cloth
Laying Out
Inking In
Pen and Ink Style
Beaux Arts Style
Working Drawings
Drawings over Photographs
Black Inks
Colored Inks
Technology
Tints, Shades, and Shadows
Watercolor
Techniques
Materials
Dry Media
Technique
Materials
Corrections
Presentation
Copying
Endnotes
PHOTOREPRODUCTIVE PROCESSES
The Chemistry
Supports
Sensitizing the Support
Printing and Processing
Iron Processes
Blueprint
Positive Blueprint
Pellet Print
Vandyke Print
Positive Vandyke Print
Ferro-Gallic Print
Sources for Iron Processes
Silver Processes
Salted Paper and Albumen Prints
History
Silver Gelatin Contact and Reflex-Contact Prints
Photostat
CB Print
Autopositive
Camera-Copying
Sources for Silver Processes
Synthetic Dye Processes
Aniline Print
Diazo
Hectograph
Sources for Synthetic Dye Processes
Ink and Carbon Processes
Lithography and Photo-Lithography
Powder-Carbon Processes
Direct Carbon Processes
Gel-Lithograph
Electrostatic Prints
Sources for Carbon Processes
Endnotes
PRESERVATION of ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS
Patterns of Deterioration
Deterioration of Original Drawings and Handmade Copies
Supports
Media
Ink
Watercolor
Dry Media
Deterioration of Photoreproductions
Iron-Based Prints
Silver-Based Prints
Synthetic Dye-Based Prints
Carbon-Based Prints
Significant Sensitivities of Photoreproductions
Preservation and Collection Management
Intellectual Control
Collection Conservation Surveys
Sample Survey Form for Rehousing
Environment
Storage and Handling
Storage Furniture
Storage Enclosures
Formats
Special Storage Problems and Cautions
Handling
Exhibition
Lighting Issues
Exhibit Mounts
Special Mounting Problems
Framing
Disaster Salvage and Recovery
Vulnerabilities
Salvage
Recovery
Recovery Summary
Copying and Reformatting
Reformatting
Copying
Conservation Treatment
Surface Cleaning
Humidification
Flattening
Mending
Lining or Mounting
Bathing
Alkalization
Tape Removal and Stain Reduction
Endnotes
Glossary
Index
Lois Olcott Price is Director of Conservation and Senior Conservator of Library Collections at the Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE. She holds an MS in art conservation and serves as Assistant Winterthur Professor in the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. She also holds an MA in American Material Culture from the University of Delaware.
Since 1991, she has pursued a long-standing research interest on the fabrication and preservation of American architectural drawings. In support of her research she has received several grants and has lectured, consulted, and published widely on issues related to architectural drawings.
Since 1991, she has pursued a long-standing research interest on the fabrication and preservation of American architectural drawings. In support of her research she has received several grants and has lectured, consulted, and published widely on issues related to architectural drawings.