apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

For proper preservation and conservation you should consult an expert. One of the things you might hear is that display under regular light is damaging. The editors note sounds totally reasonable, as long as the bottom end is supported so it does not add any stress to the top from the weight. You may also have to regularly roll the piece to a different section for that same reason.

You should seek the help of a professional art conservator who will recommend mounting or display options that will support the weight of the rolled scroll and still leave the original piece in it's intended format.

Though I don't have any helpful suggestions on how to display it now, I do agree that you should keep it intact, and await the day when you'll have a soaring space in which to hang it in all its full-length glory.

Its graphic presence is dramatic and, you're right, it has just the *right* amount of wear and tear to attest to the fact that's it's an original treasure.

The editor's suggestion is spot on, and jsut what I would have said. The fun part of it is that once you have determined a good way to some form of dowel to creat a scroll effect, you can change the display as you see fit, e.g. if a friend is coming to dinner, you can make sure their town is front and center!

(I should know better than to try to type on Monday morning . . .)

I agree that you should keep it intact rather than cut it, but 4m high rooms are hard to come by. 4m long rooms, however, are not so rare. I'm not sure how you would physically do it, but would you consider hanging it as a "stripe" along a wall? (It could also go around a corner). At least this way you would be able to see all the destination names.

I agree with the editor. Leave it intact, do not cut it. Display it as it was intended, on some sort of scroll mechanism. That way you can even change which destinations are on display, if you feel like it.

Don't cut it! Personally, I would try to have it go up the length of the wall, then put a dowel at the corner of the ceiling so it can wrap up the corner onto the ceiling for a meter or so. Alternately, you could have one or both of the ends be rolled up (probably on something that is at least a couple inches in diameter so as not to roll it too tightly) and just have it have the dowels at the ends - which can also serve for hanging it.

"Personally, I would try to have it go up the length of the wall, then put a dowel at the corner of the ceiling so it can wrap up the corner onto the ceiling for a meter or so."

I agree with Home Body. Exactly what I was going to suggest. You can protect it with glass, or plexiglass attached to the wall, over the scroll. I think this could look really interesting in this right situation.

I wonder whether there's some type of acrylic/clear flooring material that you could lay over it to protect it from dirt/feet?

It would make an amazing runner in a long hallway.

home body articulated my initial though much more effectively than I could have. Wrap it up onto the ceiling if you can. What is it made from?

Put it on the ceiling.

Don't cut it!

I agree with both idontdobeige and ohjodi. There has to be a way to contort it just enough onto the ceiling or around a corner without damage.

What a treasure! I'd either contort it as has been previously suggested, or mount it sideways for an interesting variation, in any case definitely keep it intact to preserve value & interest.

How weird that this post should arrive now.

I am actually currently listing a NY subway roll sign on eBay that I was planning on cutting and framing, but then found I couldn't bring myself to damage or destroy it. I am hoping it finds a collector who can appreciate it intact, but I fear it might fall into the hands of someone who might slice and dice it. Friends have suggested I just preserve it, but I am no collector of transportation memorabilia and the piece is 30 feet long, so up until this post, display options that didn't involve cutting seemed nonexistent.

The scroll idea is great. I am going to have to rethink my options.

What a beautiful piece! Hang it sideways, definitely, for maximum dramatic impact.

WOW thank you all very much for your responses! It was so exciting to check my email and not only find out that my Q had been posted but also see SO MUCH helpful advice! I'm going to talk over the options with my husband and when we do make a decision and get it up I'll report back. I think the 'back to basics' approach might be the best way of hanging it but I also like some of the other ideas people have posted (e.g. up the wall and onto the ceiling). Thanks so much everyone!

Catherine

I agree with the idea of hanging it sideways, with the lettering vertical, as a stripe along a wall, and maybe wrapped around a corner. That would be really contemporary looking. You could use clamp-style paper clips every foot or so along the length to support it, as they would cause minimal damage. (But I would ENJOY it, rather than getting all worked up over conservation.) (Textile conservation can be incredibly expensive and maybe not worth it.)

screw trying to make it fit your space.
sell it to me!

If I ever have a bus or similar vehicle, I'm going to insist on a little window up at the top where I can put in surreal destination signs.

I would make a scrolling display box for it. You could display it on a mantel and it would look like it was in the bus originally. Now and then change the destination. A closed box would also help protect it from light damage, dust, etc.

You could also find someone to make a print/photo/photo copy of it that you could cut up or not and still keep the original until you have a better place/way to display it.