Unrolling Works by Charles Henri Ford

Preserving items that were intended to be ephemeral, like posters, can pose a challenge. Movie posters and advertisements were sometimes adhered to a wall, torn, and left with adhesive remnants on their backing when removed. The inks and papers used in traditional posters can be glossy, and they are often printed using a silkscreen method. This creates a slick, sealed-off surface that can be difficult to treat and preserve for future study.

While the Charles Henri Ford Poem Posters in the Ransom Center’s collection are art posters, there were some unique conservation needs when it came to displaying them as part of the Art in Words exhibition. The posters in the Center’s collection are mounted on wooden dowels and had been stored rolled for many years.

“When these posters first came to the lab, they were rolled up, and even when they were unrolled they didn’t lie flat,” Conservator Heather Hamilton said. The posters, backed with gauzy cotton fabric and adhesive, had stiffened, memorizing the original rolled position.

To prepare the posters for display, Hamilton humidified them. Once the paper, adhesive, and backing had absorbed enough water vapor, they started to relax. After humidification, the posters were put under weight. Each one went through this process two to three times to completely flatten. The Center’s preservation technicians also created a custom housing to store the posters safely rolled and supported when not on display.

Hamilton treated three posters over the course of a few days, for a project that took around 20 hours. Even for a treatment as comparatively simple as this one, Hamilton’s work illustrates the time and expertise that goes into preparing objects for public exhibition and storing them safely so they can be accessed for decades to come.

The Center has additional posters by Ford, a series of 18 collage works, and one screen print that compose the Charles Henri Ford Art Collection.