A 1/4 Leather Book from 1766

Interesting Historical Events on the Province of Bengal - Indostan - 1766

I'm always searching for great findings in our library stacks and rescue them for Jackson Library Special Collection and University Archives (SCUA). The book here presented is from 1766 with original cover in poor condition, leather was degraded and marble paper was very abraded.

Indostan was a term used to designate the region today know by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan and Nepal.

A total of nine maps gives the reader a broad view of what Bengal Province region looked like in the XVIII century. The book is a great source for the researcher looking into the modern history of the Indian civilization.

Following several conservation procedures in its treatment, we can highlight the new binding in 1/4 calf leather and marble papers. The maps were mended and folded 'per original'. The original sewn endbands were gone, new ones, in linen, were added.

Also new handmade conservation endpapers replaced the ones used when book was originally bound, they were very acidic and did not belonged to the same type of paper used on the printed book.

Here is the Google url shortner link for this book in our Special Collection:

http://goo.gl/hhH65Z

The Storing of Larger Materials

The Robert C. Hansen Performing Arts collection is housed in the University Libraries Special Collections and University Manuscripts division of UNCG.  http://libcdm1.uncg.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/Hansen
During a recent digitization project, it was discovered that several large scale theater posters were in need of restoration.
Once restored, these items needed special housing to continue in the process of preserving these unique items from University Manuscripts.










Preservation Services welcomed the challenge of designing and constructing enclosures that would allow for their protection.

The restored posters were rolled onto archival tubes that are 11" in diameter and 48" long.  A layer of Reemay was rolled with the poster and a length of cotton cord was used to tie at either end.

The boxes were built with an interior support to hold a rod upon which the tubes were suspended. 

This suspension allowed for the tube to hang freely, eliminating any pressure or weight from pressing on any part of the restored poster.

The dimensions of the boxes are 51" x 12" x 12".  A nice solution to a unique project.

 

The Conservation and Restoration of a Unique Item

Last week we finished the conservation treatment of a very special volume. Méthode Elémentaire de Violoncelle: Suivie de 92 Études: Oeuvre 60 by Friedrich August Kummer and Adolphe Le Dhuy (translater).  It is part of our Cello Music Collection of Janos Scholz, dating back to the second quarter of the XIX century. We are one of two OCLC libraries worldwide to have this particular edition in our collection.

The book arrived with the original cover in a very poor condition. It was bound in a quarter leather and decorative papers, the textblock was still holding the freshness of the first years of life. There were losses on the spine, boards splitting at the fore edge and bottom, the decorative papers were badly damaged with missing parts, as we can see in the photos below. There was no trace of the original label. The leather on the cover was very brittle and already affected by red rot. Like any organic material, leather through the years can lose it is primary component, colagen, the fibers once elastic start to break and those affected areas become very powdery. 

Front cover

Back cover

The cover was in such a bad condition that I thought twice about rebinding the book per original . At the same time, I could still see the beauty behind the damage of this volume. I knew it was going to take more work and time but the simple fact that the book is part of our Cello Music Collection makes it worth the effort.  I persevered on the conservation and restoration, working hard to save the original cover to make it functional for the use of any scholar researching in our library. The following pictures speak for themselves:

Front cover during treatment

Back cover during treatment

For the large missing area on the decorative paper at the back, we used a digital solution. A photo of the pattern was taken and printed on a Japanese Paper Moriki, which was then consolidated with Klucel G to assure permanence of the toner ink. After the restoration of the area, the printed Japanese Paper was placed with starch paste.

Below part of the book corner and the Japanese Paper Moriki with the printed pattern we photographed.

 

The finished book after conservation treatment.

THE BEFORE AND AFTER OF A CELLO MUSIC BOOK

The Cello Music Collections constitute the largest single holding of cello music-related materials in the world and is a part of Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives at UNCG. From this collection we received several books to be treated at the UNCG Preservation Services, some with minor repairs and others requiring a full conservation and restoration treatment.

The variety of types of bindings and materials from this collection is broad, but here you can have a glimpse of a three-quarter-bound leather with decorative paper on the cover. The restoration took place following all the precepts of a conservation point of view, achieving a result that meets both functionality and aesthetics. 

Before

After

Before

After

Cello Music Collections webpage

http://library.uncg.edu/info/depts/scua/collections/cello/index.aspx