We certainly hope whoever originally owned this receipt didn't need to make a return. This piece was found buried within the wall of a recent client’s house during a remodel, maybe stuffed into the walls by accident, or some sort of practical joke from the past. As our Paper Department worked on this 19th-century puzzle, a dramatic transformation began to take place.
Before treatment.
Aside from being in numerous fragments, the receipt had become considerably darker and had experienced some age-related discoloration. As one could guess, the paper was extremely brittle and fragile. There were creases, handling dents, impact damage, tears, losses, scratches, abrasions, and moderate distortion that appeared throughout. The piece also exhibited some acid and water staining. The piece is coated with a heavy layer of grime and accretions -- possibly leftover from lunch many years ago.
To address these issues, the fragments were first surface cleaned to reduce the appearance of surface grime. After the initial surface cleaning was completed, the receipt fragments were water washed. This process, when done correctly, can minimize stains. (Learn more about water washing here.) The paper and appeared lighter after the aqueous treatments due to the overall reduction of discoloration.
Once cleaned, it was time to begin piecing the receipt back together.
Our conservator’s workstation during treatment.
To do this, the receipt was backed to an appropriate weight toned mending paper to address the tears and losses. It was then flattened and dried between cotton blotters and under weights. Though a lot of the original fragments of the receipt were recovered, there were still some areas of loss that appeared throughout. The missing media at the losses was not recreated in order to keep the integrity of the piece.
Piecing the fragments together.
Put back together, the top reads “WM. P. Graham Dealer in Native Meats” a locally owned Chicago butcher during the 19th century. From this, we are reminded of Chicago’s rich history in the meatpacking industry. By 1865, Chicago was the largest meatpacking center in the United States and the headquarters of the industry. It gained this title thanks to railroads, which tied Midwestern farmers to Chicago, which in turn had connections to large urban markets on the East Coast.
We thoroughly enjoyed watching this piece be put back together. It’s pieces like this that give us the opportunity to learn about and feel more connected to Chicago’s rich history -- and make us hungry.
After treatment.
The back of the piece after treatment.
