Instructions: Paper Rolls for Nitrate Panoramas and Spacers for Photographic Boxes

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box containing paper rolls of rolled nitrate separated in four sections

Part 1: Paper Rolls for Nitrate Panoramas

  • Cellulose nitrate negative panoramas are kept rolled in the Nitrate Film Preservation Facility.
  • Each panorama is individually rolled.
  • Occasionally there are negatives that are too thick or thin to fit in this roll system. If so, they are housed in a different manner.
  • For stability of paper materials there are two standards to follow:
    • ISO 18902:2013 Imaging materials—Processed imaging materials—Albums, framing and storage materials
    • ISO 18916:2007 Imaging materials—Processed imaging materials—Photographic activity test for enclosure materials

Materials / Tools

Materials

  • Permalife paper
  • cotton twill tape, 10 mm

Tools

  • metric ruler
  • scalpel
  • cutting mat
  • eraser
Materials and tools

Measuring and Cutting

  1. Cut a piece of Permalife paper H 26.5 x W 30.5 cm.
  2. Draw a line across the bottom edge that is 2 cm from the edge.
  3. Cut out bottom left corner H 2.0 x W 15.5 cm.
diagram representing steps 1 to 2, and paper with bottom left corner cutted-out
  1. Along the bottom right edge, cut H 2.0 x W 1.5 cm tabs, approximately 10 tags in total. This is the inside of the roll.
diagram representing step 4, and paper showing the cutted-out tabs
  1. Cut one 1.5 cm vertical slot that is 7.5 cm from the top edge and 7.0 cm from right edge.
diagram representing step 5, and paper showing the cutted-out slot
  1. Cut a second 1.5 cm vertical slot that is 7.5 cm from the top edge and 2.5 cm from right edge.
  2. Erase any pencil lines.
diagram representing step 6, and paper showing the additional cutted-out slot along with eraser on pencil lines

Attaching

  1. Cut the cotton twill 30 cm long.
  2. Turn the paper over. This is the outside of the roll.
  3. Feed the twill into the two slots.
  4. Make sure that the twill ends are on the front of the paper.
diagram representing steps 1 to 3, and paper showing a twill inserted through two slots

Labelling

  1. In pencil, write any necessary information at the top right corner.
diagram representing step 1, and hand holding a pencil writing on top left of paper

Insert Nitrate Roll

  1. Turn the paper again, to the inside of the roll. Place rolled nitrate along left edge.
  2. Start to roll towards the right side. Keep the nitrate straight, along the paper bottom edge.
diagram representing step 1, and hands holding a nitrate roll and right side of paper

Tie

  1. Fold in tabs when the nitrate roll reaches the end.
  2. Tie tape into a bow for easy opening.
rolled paper tied with twill manipulated by hands as described by steps 1 and 2

Place in box

  1. Place the paper rolls of rolled nitrate in a box with written information at the top.
  2. Do not over pack.
box containing paper rolls of rolled nitrate

For more information about nitrate negatives, see Library and Archives Canada Collection.

Part 2: Spacers for Photographic Boxes

Materials / Tools

Materials

  • 200 lb archival quality corrugated board

Tools

  • metric ruler
  • utility knife
  • pencil and eraser
  • board crimper or creaser
  • cutting mat
Materials and tools

Measuring and Cutting

Cut two pieces of board:

  1. First size: H 25.5 x W 57.0 cm. Direction of grain should be horizontal.
  2. Second size: H 25.5 x W 19.5 cm. Direction of grain should be vertical.
diagrams showing horizontal and vertical direction of grain as described in steps 1 and 2
  1. On the smaller board measure out a centre notch: 9.5 cm from left side, 9.5 cm from right side, 12.5 cm deep, 0.5 cm wide.
  2. Cut out centre notch.
diagram showing measurements, and notch beign cut in the smaller board as decribed in steps 3 and 4
  1. On the larger board measure out a centre notch: 28.2 cm from left side, 28.3 cm from right side, 12.5 cm deep, 0.5 cm wide.
  2. Cut out centre notch.
diagram showing measurements, and notch beign cut in the larger board as decribed in steps 5 and 6

Measuring and Crimping

  1. Measure 9.5 cm from left edge on the larger board.
  2. Crimp 9.5 cm from the left edge.
diagram showing measurement, and larger board beign crimped as decribed in steps 1 and 2
  1. Turn larger board around.
  2. Measure 9.5 cm from the right edge.
  3. Crimp 9.5 cm from the right edge.
  4. Crease both crimped edges to make a letter “Z”.
diagram showing measurement, and larger board with left and right crimped edges forming the letter “Z” as decribed in steps 3 to 6

Slot / Place in Box

  1. Place the slot from the small board into the slot from the larger board to form a “Z” with a horizontal line in the centre.
  2. Place into the box.
larger and smaller board assembled together and placed into a box as described in steps 1 and 2

Final Assembly and Completion

  1. Place rolled nitrate in the box. Do not over fill.
box containing paper rolls of rolled nitrate separated in four sections by the spacer assembly

For more information about nitrate negatives, see Library and Archives Canada Collection.

Acknowledgements

Tania Passafiume
Head Conservator of Photographic Materials

Elspeth Jordan
Assistant Conservator of Photographic Materials

Carla Klück
Digitization Project Co-ordinator (acting)

Clerk Anna Lehn
English Editor

Special thanks to:
Greg Hill, Janet Kepkiewicz, Chris Landry, Anne Macdonnell, Amanda Maloney and Ashley Stevens