- This article draws on two papers given by the author ‘The conservation of Annotationes in Libros Evangeliorum’ at the IPC conference ‘Book Conservation: A Review of Current Practice’ held in London, 30–31 March 1998 and ‘Papier mâché spine-formers as a repair technique in rebacking’ at the Society of Archivists conservators' training conference'.onservation: Craft and Culture' held in Stafford, 3–6 Sept 2002
- Dimensions: binding 324 × 226 × 89mm, textblock 315 × 206 × 72mm
- Pearson , David . 2000 . Oxford Bookbinding 1500–1640 39 – 40 . Oxford : Oxford Bibliographical Society . (and Strickland Gibson, Early Oxford Bindings (Oxford: Bibliographical Society, 1903) 41 and plate XXX
- 1999 . The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding 195 Aldershot : Ashgate . ‘Transverse liners’ is a term coined by Nicholas Pickwoad to describe transverse strips adhered between the sewing supports but also long enough to be adhered to the boards. See J. A. Szirmai, and Fig 9.13/2
- This was clearly a remedial process aiming to tone losses in the grain layer and improve its appearance rather than part of the original binding procedure. It is not possible to tell when this was done though later losses to the grain layer, showing as lighter areas, would point to an early date
- Small quantities applied with a cotton wool bud. Acetone is a strongly polar solvent which can move unbound tannins in leather and cause darkening if used in larger quantities
- 1987 . Materials for Conservation 106 – 109 . London : Butterworths . Paraloid B72: Ethyl methacrylate co-polymer acrylic resin; Paraloid 867: Isobutyl methacrylate polymer acrylic resin; Paraloid 844: methyl methacrylate co-polymer acrylic resin. See C. V. Hone
- 1984 . For the use of gelatine to reattach a lifting leather grain layer to underlying connective tissue, see H.A.B. van Soest, T. Stambolov and P.B. Hallebeek, ‘Conservation of leather’ . Studies in Conservation , 29 : 28 Following a conversation with Christopher Calnan about possible consolidation techniques
- 2003 . Guidelines for the Conservation of Leather and Parchment Bookbindings, a translated and revised edition of Peter Hallebeek, et al Richtlijnen voor de conservering van leren en perkamenten boekbanden Further research into suitable consolidation methods for physico-mechanical damaged leathers is needed. For a recent overview of current methods, see(Den Haag: Koninklijke Bibliotheek; Amsterdam: Centraal Laboratorium voor Onderzoek van Voorwerpen van Kunst en Wetenschap, 1995). The English version is available at: <http://www.kb.nl/kb/resources/frameset_kb.html?/kb/cons/leather/> (Mar
- A natural hollow-back is formed when the covering material of a binding is not adhered to the spine
- Book and Paper Group Annual , 6 The compression of the covering layer on the spine of a tight-back binding that occurs on opening is explained and analysed in: Tom Conroy, ‘The movement of the book spine’., (Washington DC: American Institute for Conservation, 1987)4, Fig. 5; J. A. Szirmai, ‘Conservation binding for medieval codices’, Care and Conservation of Manuscripts 6, eds. G. Fellows-Jensen, P. Springborg (Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum, 2002) 150, Fig. 61. They, however, do not differentiate between the compression of the covering leather between the sewing supports on the spine and the greater compression that occurs in the leather covering the raised sewing supports
- The technique of releasing the covering leather from the spine of a tight-back binding to create a hollow-back either to enable a ‘tight’ binding to open more freely, or, as in this case, to protect a fragile spine covering is not uncommon. Since giving this paper, I have been told of similar methods used by other conservators, although I am not aware of any published descriptions
- 1997 . The video The Art of the Picture Frame (running time 10 minutes) was produced by the gallery to accompany the exhibition and showed the conservation of four frames Held at the National Portrait Gallery, London, 8 November 1996 to 9 February
- 2003 . Personal communication with Richard Hallas, Frame Conservator at the National Portrait Gallery, London, Mar
- Cling film is a low-density polyethylene film food wrap
- If too many additional layers are pasted at once they will, when dry, act as one distinct layer and separate from the spine-former on opening
- Stained with Irgaderm metal complex liquid leather dyes
- Sintered diamond abrasive bit and ‘CC’ series flexible shaft, both from Foredom Electric Company, Bethel, CT 06801, USA
- Workshop produced leather dressing: 250ml Neatsfoot oil, 250ml lanolin, 7·58 Carnauba wax
- Clarkson , Christopher . 1984 . ‘The book shoe: Description and uses’ . Oxford University Libraries Bulletin , 41 : 4 – 7 . and Pascale Regnault, ‘Putting shoes on Duke Humfrey. A passive conservation measure in the Bodleian Library, Oxford’, IADA: Pre-prints of Eighth Congress, Tübingen, 1994,21–28
- Clarkson Book Support System
The Paper Conservator
Volume 27, 2003 - Issue 1