Broken printing plates made whole
Gluing metal? You would imagine that a broken metal object would need to be welded back together. Not necessarily. These damaged printing plates were made whole using glue—though not the stuff you used in grade three.
A treasure trove of artifacts
Having recently blogged on the conservation of a 19th century printing press, it seemed appropriate to write a blog on the conservation of printing plates that may very well have been used on this press. In May 2013, the Museum acquired for its National Currency Collection more than 650 engraved steel dies (printing plates) from the British American Bank Note Company. (Read more about this acquisition.)
The print dies were in envelopes with sample prints glued to the front. Nobody had much of an idea of what condition the plates themselves were in. Die, printing, British American Banknote Co., Canada, 1905
But, we couldn’t place the dies in storage straight away. There were assessments to be made, labels to be detached and a little clean-up was called for. Each die was wiped down with mineral spirits and soft cotton swabs to remove a dark, greasy substance that covered the surfaces—evidence of their past use as security printing plates. During this cleaning process, we discovered that eight dies were broken in half, likely from past printing activity. After further evaluation, we decided to repair the breaks.
This engraving of an early coat of arms for the City of Ottawa highlights labour alongside government. Die, printing, British American Banknote Co., Canada, 1875
Prior to treatment, the plate shows a clean break. Die, printing, British American Banknote Co., Canada, 1873
Conserving the plates
Artifact preservation is the non-invasive act of minimizing and preventing future damage or deterioration. Artifact conservation has the same goal but with the addition of hands-on treatments such as cleaning and repairing.
In heritage conservation, broken metal objects can be reassembled with an adhesive most commonly used for repairing glass and ceramics. This adhesive, known as HXTAL, is a two-part epoxy resin which, through a chemical reaction, hardens after mixing. It works well with dense materials as it creates strong, tight bonds and has the added benefit of neither swelling nor discolouring over time.
HXTL is called “hextal” by conservators. Unlike the two-part epoxy from the hardware store, HXTAL is a very thin liquid.
No, the plates weren’t taped together; just held together while the adhesive cured.
Each die was reassembled, held together with thin strips of painter’s tape and then placed upright in clamps. Small drops of HXTAL were then applied along the break with the tip of a wooden stick. Capillary action then draws the glue into the break. The next day, any remaining adhesive was removed with swabs and wooden sticks lightly dampened with acetone. This is important because after 24 hours, HXTAL will become too hard to be removed without the potential of damaging the object. The dies were then left in the clamps for an additional week until the adhesive had fully cured. The final step was to create custom mounts for each die to ensure they are properly supported while in collection storage.
The plates may now be re-assembled, but could never be used for printing again.
It is both our pleasure and our duty to preserve items such as these dies for the future. They are a glimpse into our economic and social history as well as into printing traditions that reach back nearly 600 years.
We want to hear from you! Do you have an idea for a blog post you’d like to see?
Content type(s):
Blog posts
April 4, 2022
Talk to your kids about money
Introduce important financial skills to your children, and help them plan for their futures with free resources from the Bank of Canada Museum and others.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Financial literacy
Grade level(s):
Early childhood / Kindergarten,
Grade 01,
Grade 02,
Grade 03,
Grade 04,
Grade 05,
Grade 06,
Grade 07 / Secondary 1,
Grade 08 / Secondary 2,
Grade 09 / Secondary 3,
Grade 10 / Secondary 4,
Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5
March 3, 2022
Teaching inflation during the COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 has had an unprecedented effect on the economy: closing businesses, driving down demand and interrupting supplies. With news stories and popular culture addressing inflation and supply chain issues, now is the perfect time to explain this key economic concept to your high school students.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Economics
Grade level(s):
Grade 09 / Secondary 3,
Grade 10 / Secondary 4,
Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5
February 3, 2022
Queen of the bank notes
By: Graham Iddon
Few of us have ever met her, and it’s likely none of us are even remotely related to her. Yet, Canadians have carried her picture in their wallets for generations now. She’s Queen Elizabeth II and has been our monarch for over 70 years.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
December 22, 2021
New acquisitions–2021 edition
By: David Bergeron
The Bank of Canada Museum is responsible for the National Currency Collection, and part of its mandate is to foster and develop that collection. Despite the challenges of collecting during a pandemic, curators at the Bank of Canada Museum have acquired some unique artifacts—including some that document the pandemic itself.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
December 2, 2021
The true value of money
By: Graham Iddon
What is money—when you really stop to think about it? To understand how money works, and what it ultimately represents, we need to strip it down to its very basic function.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Economics
Grade level(s):
Grade 07 / Secondary 1,
Grade 08 / Secondary 2,
Grade 09 / Secondary 3,
Grade 10 / Secondary 4,
Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5
November 16, 2021
The 1911 silver dollar
By: David Bergeron
The 1911 silver dollar has a history to match its prestige, and it now has a permanent home in the National Currency Collection of the Bank of Canada Museum.
Content type(s):
Blog posts
