They copying pencil: Composition, history, and conservation implications

Copying pencils present a significant hazard to conservators. Their markings are easily mistaken for those of standard graphite pencils, and they generally contain a dye that is water and alcohol soluble. To those unacquainted with copying pencils, their discovery might come as an unwelcome surprise during a routine wet treatment wherein copying pencil markings were mistaken for standard graphite. In order to familiarize conservators with this deceptive medium, this article describes the composition and uses of copying pencils, as well as associated conservation treatment implications. Observations resulting from tests performed on a number of copying pencil markings are described.