RESTORATION OF CIVIL WAR MILITARY SERVICE DISCHARGE CERTIFICATE

Restoration of this Civil War document presented a real challenge since it was not only heavily faded and discolored but in addition to regular teas that can be expected on such old document it two layers of paper tape were applied at different times to prevent the document from separation at the folds.

The document was carefully cleaned and deacidified to prevent further deterioration and most of the tape was removed to reveal the text hidden underneath. Since the dirt that became imbedded at the folds of the documents could not be removed completely, a digital copy of the document was made and retouched to create a display copy that could be framed and showcased in place of the original.

click to view before and after images