The physical condition of manuscript materials can affect your ability to decipher their contents. While repositories invest many resources into preservation, manuscripts still suffer from the unavoidable effects of time and use. Also, records may be incomplete due to other factors such as the blacking out of sensitive passages in wartime correspondence. Heavily worn or incomplete materials can hinder your research, but you may find that the condition of materials adds to their character as historical artifacts. With patience and perseverance, you may learn to work around condition problems and appreciate the document as it is.

Some common condition concerns you may encounter:

PRINT

Incomplete	Torn	Brittle	Foxing
Faded	Tight Binding	Creasing	Censored

NON-PRINT

Damaged

Faded Photo

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