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 →
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 →
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 →
Limp vellum binding with flap. 18th century. Manuscript with cook recipes.
Damages: Parchment loss on the spine and front cover. Broken lock and borken spine reinforcing made of leather which hold the sewing. the locks were lost too. The parchment had been soaked in oil in former interventions to “protect” it. Continue reading →
Owner: Private collector. Object: Several volumes of the 1st and 3rd edition of the Encyclopedia (the first one ever, by d’Alambert & Diderot). Date: First edition volumes are from 1757 and 3rd edition (limp vellum bound) are from 1787. Author: … Continue reading →
(Translation pending) Owner: Public Library Carles Rahola (Girona, Spain), Catalonia Government. Object: 23 Incunabula books, with limp and semi-limp vellum bindings, as well as some full leather on board bindings. Date: 1493-1500. Damages: Desperfectes estructurals en les enquadernacions (llacunes al pergamí, … Continue reading →
