"Word of the Week" posts haven't exactly been weekly, but this is a really good term for us to know and a condition we need to be able to recognize on our materials.
n. ~ PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION • the process of leather deterioration characterized by orange or reddish powder
Synonym
red decay
Note
Red rot is most commonly found on vegetable-tanned leathers from the later 1800s and early 1900s. As a result of the tanning process, the leather is naturally acidic. Prolonged storage in or exposure to high relative humidity, environmental pollution, and high temperature affects the fibrous structure of the leather leading to the hardening and embrittling of leather and eventual disintegration into red powder if left untreated.
Cited In
Falls, Eva, "Red rot," AIC Wiki (2014).
Ritzenthaler, Mary Lynn, Preserving Archives and Manuscripts 2nd edition (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2010): 77. |
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red rot (Photo by Geof Huth.)
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