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 are studied. Continue reading →
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 →
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 →
Event: Conference Book Conservation: One Philosophy, Many Interpretations. Organization: ERC (European Research Centre for Book and Paper Conservation-Restoration) and the University for Continuing Education, Krems (Austria). Donau-Universität Krems, Die Universität für Weiterbildung. Lecture: Sew it, rather than paste it! Sew … Continue reading →
Event: INTACH lectures. 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 Cultuur, Jeugd … Continue reading →
Owner: Private collector. Object: Encyclopaedia volumes. First and third editions. Third edition (1759): Two semi-limp vellum volums, starch marbled endpapers, sewn endbands on a parchment core, marbled edges. First edition (1751): Cat’s paw calfskin bound, sewn endbands, coloured edges. Damages: … Continue reading →
Owner: Regional Archive of Baix Ebre (Tortosa, Tarragona, Spain). Artefact: Two medieval manuscripts on rag paper and limp vellum binding. The sewing thread is made of rolled parchment, sewn with independent knots onto inner parchment stays. One of them onto … Continue reading →
COURSES > Conservation and Repair of Damaged Books Course: Conservation and repair of damaged books. Duration: Workshop with 4 theoretic and practical sessions (16 hours) Organization: Barcelona Libraries. Venue: Library Montserrat Abelló (Barcelona, Spain). Language: Catalan. Date: November 13th, 20th, 27th and … Continue reading →
Owner: Regional Archive of Baix Empordà (La Bisbal, Girona, Spain), Government of Catalonia. Object: Two stationery manuscripts on laid paper. They have limp vellum bindings with tacketing onto exterior leather supports (see heading image). Both with flaps, are sewn on … Continue reading →
Event: First International Conference on Preservation of the Written Heritage. Lecture: A possible solution for paperback bindings. Organization: Gazi Husrev-bey’s Library, Sarajevo (Bosnia i Hercegovina). Venue: National Library of Bosnia (Gazi Husrev-begova Biblioteka). Audience: Book and paper conservators, librarians, historians, … Continue reading →
Owner: Alcon-Cusí Museum (Royal Academy of Pharmacy of Catalonia). Object: Choir book, an oversized manuscript on parchment. The bookbinding is full leather on wooden boards with brass edges, as well as clasps, also in brass. There was a contemporary bookmark … Continue reading →
COURSES > Conservation and Repair of Damaged Books Course: Conservation and repair of damaged books. Duration: Workshop with 3 theoretic and practical sessions (12 hours) Organization: Barcelona Libraries. Venue: Library Montserrat Abelló (Barcelona, Spain). Language: Catalan. Date: November 15, 22nd and December … Continue reading →
Owner: Association of Architects of Catalonia (CoAC). Object: Bound manuscript with inlaid lock. Full leather renaissance binding with brass bosses and clasps, and an iron lock on both covers. It has blind tooling decoration (rectangles and flowers). Laid paper pages. … Continue reading →
Owner: Private collection. Artefact: Semi limp vellum binding (semi because the cardboards inside the covers provide it a certain body, even if they are not pasted onto the parchment). 17th-18th century. Printed book. Damages: Parchment loss on the spine, locks … Continue reading →
Owner: Museum of History of Barcelona (MUHBA). Object: Romantic album (reference MHCB 42054 from the Museum), from the 3rd quarter of 19th century. It contains drawings, paintings (among which some attributed to Fortuny, one by Pérez Villaamil, one Gustave Doré, … Continue reading →
