Conservation of re-used bindings (Part one)

Conservation of book with another binding inside the binding's covers

Book conservation involves a tough decision making regarding usability and long term preservation handling.
Sometimes we are dealing with fragmentology, or disjecta membra (fragments of written supports are re-used as part of a binding, with a diverse purpose from the first use) whereas in other cases the purpose is the same, and the whole binding is being recycled to bind a different book.
Incunabula and manuscripts with laced-case and limp vellum bindings with rolled sewing on parchment are studied. Continue reading →

Conservation of recycled limp vellum wallet binding

meetings of conservators and restorers of archival and library materials and art on paper

Conservation of a manuscript which was a recycled limp vellum binding with flap. The flap and other missing parts are reconstructed after conservation. Continue reading →

Conservation of stationery vellum binding with rolled sewing

Rolled sewing on parchment, conservation process of the limp vellum binding

Owner: Historical Archive of Lleida (Catalonia), National Archive of Catalonia, Government of Catalonia. Object: Limp vellum binding mansucript. Rolled sewing on parchment. The covers are a re-used manuscript (disjecta membra). “Manual notarial d’Andreu Soler” (notes by notary Andreu Soler). Date: … Continue reading →

Video about the profession of book and paper conservator

conservation of alum tawed leather button of a flap of a limp vellum binding

What does a paper conservator do? Whom does she work for? What skills and knowledge does she ought to have?
Preservation and conservation, a field linked to science, history and arts and crafts. A video explains what differenciates us from forgers and shows -among other- how we produce a hand-made suction table to restore paper artifacts, with loads of creativity, a feature most necessary to become book and paper conservator. Continue reading →

Conservation of a manuscript with one binding inside the other

Not uncommon to find waste material as part of a binding (parchment manuscripts, for instance), but quite much rare when the previous and original binding is part of the boards layers of the current recycled binding!
The outer and visible binding belonged first to a former book, and the hidden binding, to the current, one… crazy! Continue reading →

Conservation of limp vellum binding with flap and leather tackets, on reverse parchment

Owner: Regional Archive of La Segarra (Cervera, Spain), Government of Catalonia. Object: Medieval manuscript on laid paper with limp vellum binding in reverse parchment, with flap and alum tawed leather tackets sealing the turnings. Sewing on two leather tackets. Date: … Continue reading →

INTACH lectures:
Reversibility in book and paper conservation

Event: INTACH lectures (#52). Organization: INTACH, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. Lecture: Reversibility in book and paper conservation. It is in fact a revisiting of the same lecture given at the Cores Symposium, organized by Syntrawest, Vlaanderen Departement … Continue reading →