adhesive removal: heat set tissue (UVA WWI posters)

one poster had some burned cotton that was a bit harder to remove

two of the UVA posters had linings on the back consisting of a cotton fabric attached by a heat set tissue made of adhesive and a thin paper carrier.  the fabric came off easily, but the tissue was much more difficult.  initially i tried removing it just through mechanical means (sliding a microspatula or scalpel between the tissue and the poster).  in some areas it came up easily, but others were better adhered.  for these areas i used the hot air pencil to soften the adhesive so the microspatula could slide under the tissue and raise it up to be removed.  this worked well, although not all heat set adhesives would've responded in the same way.

half of the cotton lining removed

start of tissue removal

...still working on the tissue