Reconstructing Christopher Clarkson’s Flip Flop Box: A Protective Enclosure for Book Covers

ABSTRACT

In the early 1970s Christopher Clarkson designed and constructed specialized enclosures, which he later named “flip flop boxes,” to protect Islamic book covers in the Kirkor Minassian Collection at the Library of Congress. A flip flop box provides support for book covers and permits easy viewing of both sides while reducing handling. Recently a project to house a book cover prompted a return to Clarkson's box design, since over 40 years of use for both storage and research has proven its elegance and durability. This paper gives a historical account of the design process, discusses selection of materials for the recent reconstruction, and provides detailed instructions for making a flip flop box.

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG

In den frühen 1970er Jahren entwickelte Christopher Clarkson spezielle Boxen, die er später als „Flip-Flop-Boxen“ bezeichnete, um lose arabische und persische Bucheinbände aus der Sammlung Kirkor Minassian der Library of Congress zu lagern und zu schützen. Eine “Flip Flop Box” ermöglicht eine stabile Lagerung, sowie eine einfache Sicht auf beide Seiten der Buchdecken, gleichzeitig wird die Manipulation der fragilen Einbände reduziert. Unlängst führte ein Projekt zu Lagerung und Verpackung eines Bucheinbands zu einer Rückkehr zu Clarksons Schachteldesign, welches nach über 40-jähriger Verwendung, sowohl für Lagerung als auch Forschung seine Eleganz und Haltbarkeit bewiesen hat. Dieser Artikel gibt einen historischen Überblick über den Entwurfsprozess, diskutiert die Auswahl der Materialien für die neue Rekonstruktion und enthält detaillierte Anweisungen für die Herstellung einer „Flip-Flop-Box“.

Keywords:

• Minassian
• Flip Flop Boxes
• Box Design
• Islamic Book Covers

Schlüsselwörter::

• Minassian
• Flip Flop Box
• Verpackungskonstruktion
• arabische persische Bucheinbände

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank colleagues past and present from the Conservation and Preservation Research and Testing Divisions who contributed to these instructions, especially Linda McWilliams Ogden for sharing her memories of the project. Thanks also to Joan Weeks, Head of the Near East Section of the African and Middle Eastern Division of the Library of Congress, for her help in accessing the Minassian Collection book covers in their flip flop boxes.

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Additional information

Notes on contributors

Claire Dekle

Claire Dekle is a senior book conservator at the Library of Congress. She received her MS in Library Service and Certificate in Library and Archives Conservation from Columbia University in New York and completed an internship in the conservation of books and manuscripts at West Dean College.

Gwenanne Edwards

Gwenanne Edwards is a senior paper conservator at the Library of Congress. She received her MA and Certificate of Advanced Study in Art Conservation from Buffalo State College in Buffalo, New York.