Does anyone know of any way to get stuck together pages apart in an old car sales book?

I acquired some really great Ford literature from the 50's and 60's. Much of it was crazy pristine still in the larger Ford marketing bi monthly mailing boxes. Unfortunately some things suffered from poor storage. Some great items are down right trashed. A few I have been able to salvage. The latest challenge is a 1965 Ford dealership marketing book that has a great binder but the pages inside got damp? They are stuck together in spots but not completely so I can open them just far enough to access the stuck spots. I'm asking to see if anyone knows of a chemical or heat related way to separate the pages and preserve the pictures on them?

I did a computer search and for sake of a better word Wow!

"To separate pull them apart." I never thought of that. LOL

Is society really that dumb?

The other suggestions were forms of mechanical separation which I tried and pretty much just destroy the images.

The surfaces are glossy thick pages but not quite cardboard.

Any ideas on ways that might work? I have a few test pieces I can ruin first.

Thanks for any suggestions.

I suggest calling a Librarian with a master's degree. The AACA Library has 3 of them.

Steaming them might work.

Steaming them might work.

That is what I was thinking.

We've got the humidifier going. I'll give it a try. I did try ironing a similar one with alot of steam but I just couldn't get it to release. I was hoping the heat and moisture combo would do it but it didn't. I can get the steam between the pages I think with this one, so that may do it. Thanks for the replies.

Find an older stamp collector. They deal with this problem regularly.

I suggest calling a Librarian with a master's degree. The AACA Library has 3 of them.

I second West's suggestion, since these fellows deal with the largest collection in this country.

The librarians would be the first choice. Another option is a professional conservator, but it will cost so if you are thinking of resale it is probably not a viable option. I have separated old sheets of stamps by putting them in the freezer for a few days with some degree of success. Worth a try as a last resort. If they are loose pages you might try taking a trick from Victorian trade card collectors and try floating them in a tray of water.

I worked in printing for years and never seen a trick to unstick sheets that have been wet. Most likely the ink from one page is stuck to the opposite side. When released the ink is going to go one way only leaving a void in that area, plus you'll have to deal with the wavy paper. Good luck........

Interesting topic - and one that I believe might make a great seminar for the Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Actually at one time I know the Library was looking at providing some restoration/conservation technology resource informaton. There are a lot of us who would love to know how to do this as well as "iron" folded paper, unravel damaged catalogs, or remove stains from early artwork and documents. At least knowing where to get it done would be a great thing. I've used a guy in PA for several years now who has been a real wizard at removing water stains, foxing, etc, from early prints and lithographs. It's supposedly not difficult and has been suprisingly inexpensive.

I acquired some early sales catalogs from the Austin Automobile Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan years ago. Glossy pages were stuck together. Still got them, so am axious to see what comes form this thread.

Terry

Hi Aubrunseeker. As you probably realize, you won't find one guaranteed method to get those pages unstuck. I would try the following in order from least risky to "likely gonna tear things"

*Place the item in a freezer for a couple of days then try to gently pry them open.

*Steam them with a warm humidifier. Don't iron them.

*Use some waxed dental floss to try and separate the pages.

We see it all the time here and, quite frankly, the item is probably lost. You can send us some pictures of the item by email if you'd like -- critter at aaca.org

Good luck!

-Chris

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll let you all know what worked the best. I did try the dental floss trick before I posted this thread. Maybe for very lightly stuck that would work. These are stuck just enough that it started tearing things. I imagine each case is different depending on the exact type pf paper, whether they are stuck from just pressure or whether they got wet/ damp.

I would suggest contacting the used (antique) book dealers in your area. They will either do book restoration or have someone who does. It will cost you a little but I think the results will be worth it. At the least less risky.