Framing Stamps And Proofs, Is It Safe For The Condition?

hi all,

search forum and internet but could not find a clear answer.

i want to enjoy some of my stamps and/or proofs a bit more and consider framing some of them so I can hang in my office. it will be all pre 1900, no modern


what I am worries about is the potential condition and color change due to light and/or other materials used, and how to tie them to the back

anyone done this?
any tips?

thank you

The short answer is, don't do it unless you're prepared for the material to be damaged, which, over time, it will be. Use cheap, decorative material, not anything you value.

The only physical difference I can see between storing a given item in a binder on a bookshelf in your office and mounting it on the wall under glass in your office is light exposure and that can be very damaging over time. Fluorescent lighting is second to the sun when it comes to printed matter harming UV.

Rasdale sold some framed pieces once that Regency-Superior had framed and hung and the fading was remarkable. If memory serves they were Columbian proofs.

And that is all the difference in the world.

Scan them at high resolution and mount the scanned image.

AlEGator, thats a good idea

Feel super stupid I didn't come up with that one myself, I can even blow up the image

Exactly.

Years ago, before scanners, I would take close-up photos of material and frame those. No need for all of that now with scanners.

There are quite a few well known items that have been exhibited so much now, that they have faded, mostly due to time spent on exhibit floors and exposure to light.

If you check at a framing shop or glass company you can learn about UV reducing glass. The "good" stuff can reduce up to 99%, but that means discoloration is just slowed, not stopped. Edit: Let me be clear I am suggesting this glass to slow the fading on your scanned and printed images.

Go with the scans. Sunlight and fluorescent lighting are still very powerful UV sources. There are also serious effects over time by changes in household heat and humidity.