The oldest manuscript from the Arquivo Público do Estado de São Paulo dating back to the XVI century, which was laminated some decades ago, was analyzed by Raman and FTIR spectroscopies. A book from the XVIII century and Japanese papers were also investigated for comparison purpose. Raman microscopy is a well-known technique, which offers a non-destructive approach to informing the preservation state of paper and textile heritage. The manuscript and book were both characterized as cotton rag paper and their degradation state were evaluated from the spectroscopic features. The use of certain Raman signatures as ageing markers was discussed and questioned when different types of cellulose or even processing are compared.
Keywords:
rag paper; paper degradation; Raman spectroscopy; cultural heritage conservation
