Culture

While they are invaluable historical and working documents, the unwieldiness of blueprints proves a challenge for those charged with their care.

The Archive Department recently received a batch of over 100 architectural drawings from a parish for rehousing, inventorying, and organization. The drawings depicted nearly a century of construction, beginning with the creation of a new church building in 1923 and showing renovations and updates through 1990.
The blueprints we received were in various states of disrepair -- rolled, folded, crushed, crumpled, torn in half, bent, accordioned, even in multiple pieces. Creases left valleys of discoloration and holes, and water damage had taken out some corners. Before unrolling and unfolding all of the plans, we didn't know exactly what was there. As we began our work with them, we realized the significance of the material, which told the story of the parish's buildings throughout the course of the 20th century.

Blueprints are an essential record to keep on hand for maintaining our buildings -- especially since most of our churches and schools predate computer-drawn architectural plans. An original blueprint can depict any aspect of a building, from the sculpture designs above the front door, to the grade of limestone under the foundation, and everything in between. Most early blueprints are simpler and depict elevations -- or exterior views -- of a building, as well as floor plans and framing. In the second half of the 20th century, architectural plans became more detailed, with schedules for materials to be used and instructions for each step of construction. A set of plans from the late 1800s and early 1900s might be 10 pages, while a set from the 1980s may be over 100 pages, detailing not just the structure of a building but HVAC, plumbing, and electrical.
While they are invaluable historical and working documents, the unwieldiness of blueprints proves a challenge for those charged with their care. Blueprints are made of paper, which is bound to naturally deteriorate over time. However, excessive wear and tear is avoidable with the right storage.'First, what are blueprints? The original method for creating blueprints is actually an early form of photography known as the cyanotype. To make the blueprint, a drawing is laid over a chemically coated piece of paper, which is then exposed to light, causing a chemical reaction. Then, the paper is immersed in water, which turns the light-exposed coating blue, and removes the overlaid drawing. This leaves behind the iconic white lines on a deep blue background. Later in the 20th century, different chemical coatings are used, which result in different colored prints when exposed to light.
We usually think of chemicals as being liquid or gaseous and might not realize the work of chemicals in products that we use every day. Think of rust, which is created when metal reacts with the moisture in the air. Similarly, the paper products that we use react with moisture and light, which cause the paper to deteriorate. The deterioration will be compounded if paper products are not stored correctly. When well-cared for, paper and the images on them can last for hundreds of years. If not, they may not be usable within a decade.
Ideally, architectural plans should be stored flat, and away from light sources -- preferably in cut-to-size unbuffered folders, in appropriately sized metal drawers. If there are no drawers quite large enough for the plans, they can be rolled, but care should be taken that rolled plans are stored horizontally, never vertically, and that they ideally have an acid-free cardboard core to prevent being bent or warped. Plans that are very brittle should not be rolled, as they are more likely to tear and break into multiple pieces, just from being rolled and unrolled.
An underappreciated aspect of the preservation of blueprints is the need to keep a detailed and accurate inventory. Inventories help to ensure that all plans are accounted for, and that they can actually be accessed and used when they are needed. They also reduce the need to handle the materials, particularly important for older and more fragile plans. Knowing which plans are which ensures that the proper plan can be found without disturbing irrelevant plans.
It would be nice to keep digital counterparts of all blueprints, but that is a difficult feat, especially when plans are fragile or have not been properly stored over the years. Usually, the prohibitive factor for digitizing very large documents is cost, due to the specialized equipment needed to scan the oversized documents. Sometimes, the preparation work makes the digitization unfeasible, since most blueprints will require flattening and repair work to address tears. In some cases, the condition of the blueprint is too poor to be scanned, and the blueprint must instead be photographed. Taking pictures of important plans is a good idea -- just remember to avoid flash photography, as the repeated light exposure will lead to fading.
Caring for historical blueprints is just one way that our department seeks to preserve the history of our parish communities and their architectural heritage. Each crease and tear in a set of blueprints reminds us of their years of use, as they have been consulted by stewards of our buildings over time. With proper storage, we hope that they will endure as a source of reference and inspiration for generations to come.

Savannah Miller is an assistant archivist of the Archdiocese of Boston's Archives.

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