Restoring Old Movie Posters
The first forms of movie posters were hand painted on crates and sandwich boards. Fortunately, during the turn of the century we saw the introduction of posters being created with vibrant colors and images! A variety of products and services, mainly early cinema were promoted by these old forms of posters.
The best way to maintain the value of an old movie poster is by restoring it. Removing any tape residue, rubber cement thinners is extremely effective. Using a q-tip, rub a small amount on the spot to be removed. Be careful not remove the poster ink. If the old movie poster is very valuable or if there is lots of tape residue, it is better to have it restored by a professional. Old movie posters were printed on high-acid, low-grade paper. So the process of de-acidification helps prevent deterioration.
There are three methods of de-acidification linen backing / mounting, lamination and encapsulation. The process of linen mounting is when a restorer fuses the old movie poster onto linen fabric. The poster is strengthened, facilitating necessary repairs and reducing the possibility of the poster getting torn through mishandling. In lamination, there is a clear coating on both the front and back of the poster. If the poster is to be handled a lot, this makes it more durable. However, this process should be handled by an expert, as there is a possibility of destroying the intrinsic value of the poster. In encapsulation, the old movie poster is first de-acidified and then sealed in an acid-free polyester enclosure. This process protects the poster from handling, and keeps it free from dirt and air contaminants.