The Cult of Uncertainty

Before Treatment

During Treatment

After Treatment

Treatment Report Microsoft Word Version Date Examined: 2/4/2006 Date Completed: 4/22/2006 Conservator: Brenna Campbell Instructor: Chela Metzger Owner/Custodian: Perry Casteñeda Library Author: Isaac Leon Kandel Title: Cult of Uncertainty Imprint: 1943 Original Binding Dimensions (cm): H: 18.9 W: 12.8 D: 2.4 Original Textblock Dimensions (cm): H: 18.3 W: 12.3 D: 2.2 Final Binding Dimensions (cm): H: 19.0 W: 12.9 D: 2.5 Final Textblock Dimensions (cm): H: 18.3 W: 12.3 D: 2.3 DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION SUMMARY Binding: The full cloth-covered case binding, contemporary to textblock, has severely worn and abraded edges and bent and delaminated corners. The spine piece of the case is almost completely detached and frayed. The front board and the spine are gold stamped. The boards are made of binder’s board, and were attached to the textblock by mull under the front and back pastedowns. The boards are attached very weakly to the textblock. Textblock: The textblock was Smyth sewn through three paired stations and two single holes at the head and tail. The sewing has failed in several places, as has the adhesive consolidation, which appears to be overcooked animal glue. The textblock has a moderate round and shallow shoulders, and is hammer backed. It has one overhanging textile lining and one paper lining, both of which are brittle and have separated from the textblock. The single folio plain endpapers (which are different from the text paper) are tipped to the first and last pages of the textblock. The primary medium is printer’s ink. There are notes in graphite throughout, and a University of Texas stamp in black ink on the foredge. PHOTODOCUMENTATION Digital BT: Ambient Light Digital DT: Ambient Light Digital AT: Ambient Light TREATMENT PROPOSED Treatment recommended by supervising conservator at owning institution for use in circulating collection: remove remnants of sewing; mend and guard folios as needed; resew and recover textblock, retaining original dimensions and appearance if possible. Removed textblock from case by releasing the flyleaf tips and by cutting the overhanging textile lining. Removed original cloth lining from spine. Applied a poultice of methyl cellulose to the spine and cleaned off softened adhesive with a microspatula. After allowing the spine to dry, pulled the original sewing. Prepared double folio 70# textweight endsheets to fit textblock. Texblock was resewn using an all-along 2 hole link-stitch pattern using original sewing holes. The book was sewn with 25/3 linen thread. Care was taken to maintain the shape of the original rounding and backing as the textblock was resewn. Consolidated spine with wheat starch paste. Lined spine with paste and machine-made kozo paper, then with overhanging textile using PVAc, and then with western paper, again using PVAc. Prepared a new built-in groove case to fit the textblock using PVAc, binder’s board, and starch filled cloth that complimented the original case’s color. Cased-in. Trimmed original spine label and removed paper lining. Adhered label to case spine with PVAc. MATERIALS USED Methyl cellulose (Fisher 4000 cps.) 2.5% dispersed in hot then cold distilled water Precipitated wheat starch paste (Colophon) mixed 1:4 with distilled water cooked 20 minutes Mohawk 70# text and coverweight paper 25/3 Linen thread (Colophon) Machine-made lightweight kozo paper (Hiromi) Spine-lining textile (LBS) PVAc 45675 adhesive (Elvace) Binder’s Board (LBS) Starch filled book cloth