Linen-Backing, Storing and Framing Vintage Movie Posters

What linen-backing is

A conservator attaches the poster with water-soluble paste to a sheet of acid-free paper that is itself mounted on canvas stretched over a frame. Folds relax, tears and losses can be filled and retouched, and the poster can be rolled safely afterwards. Because the paste is water-soluble, a skilled conservator can reverse the process.

• Worth doing for: large folded posters, posters with fold separation or tears, posters you want to frame or display.
• Not necessary for: locandine and fotobuste in good condition, which can be framed with a simple mount.
• Ask for: acid-free materials, a description of any retouching, before-and-after photos.

What happens in the studio

1. Assessment and photographs of the poster as received, front and back.
2. Cleaning and washing where needed: surface dirt is removed, and many conservators wash the sheet in water, which can reduce staining and acidity.
3. Mounting with water-soluble paste onto acid-free paper backed with canvas, stretched while it dries so the poster lies flat.
4. Filling and retouching losses and fold lines, ideally with reversible media and only where paper is missing or damaged.
5. Removal from the stretcher, trimming of the canvas border and return rolled, image outwards.

Smaller items such as locandine are sometimes paper-backed instead: mounted on acid-free paper alone, without canvas. It is lighter and cheaper and suits posters that will be framed rather than rolled.

Choosing a conservator

• Ask to see before-and-after examples of posters of the same size and age as yours.
• Ask how much retouching they do by default; collectors increasingly prefer restrained work.
• Get a written quote by size, with any extra charge for repairs, and an expected turnaround.
• Check how the poster is insured while in the studio and how it will be shipped back.

Storing posters

• Keep folded posters folded along their original folds, in acid-free folders, flat in a drawer or box.
• Keep rolled posters rolled image-outwards around a wide acid-free tube, wrapped in tissue.
• Avoid attics, cellars and outside walls: damp causes foxing, heat makes paper brittle.
• Keep them out of direct sunlight; light fading is permanent.
• Never use tape, staples or glue; remove old tape only with a conservator's help.

Framing safely

1. Use an acid-free mount (passe-partout) so the poster does not touch the glazing.
2. Choose UV-filtering glass or acrylic; acrylic is lighter for big formats.
3. Attach the poster with reversible hinges or corners — never dry-mount or glue.
4. Seal the back against dust and allow a little air gap.
5. Hang away from radiators, kitchens and bathrooms.

Frame sizes for each Italian format are in the size guide.