Holly Robertson | Conservation Portfolio

TREATMENT REPORT
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Call Number: DA 564 B3 A4 1886 / ARCH ROWE
Temporary ID: PCS# 03-116

Title: Lord Beaconsfield's Correspondence with His Sister
Imprint: 1886

DESCRIPTION / CONDITION
Covering / binding:
The item is a rigid board, laced structure covered in 1/2 style binding with light brown tanned calf and cloth. The leather on the spine, which has gold stamped decoration, is abraded and friable, and the deterioration (likely due to light) at the head of the book has results in darkened and friable leather. The leather on the corners and at the spine edge of the boards was plated, or dried on glass, and is quite thin. The boards are detached.
Textblock
The textblock is sewn on single sawed-in hemp cords with a two-on sewing pattern. It is a hollow tube structure with linings, with a slight round and shallow shoulder. The single folio marbled endleaves are tipped on, and the marbling of the endleaves is the same pattern as the edge decoration of the textblock. Two machine-made endbands are present. The textblock is in fair condition with its sewing intact; surface grime and foxing are evident, and an acidic influence is visible at the textblock's perimeter.

TREATMENT PROPOSAL

Mechanically split hollow tube.
Surface clean textblock
Clean spine.
Consolidate and line spine.
Consolidate friable leather.
Reback as a hollow tube with bonnet used toned Japanese paper
Rehouse if necessary in four flap enclosure if leather still friable after treatment.

TREATMENT

Objective:
To reattach the boards and repair the case using a Japanese paper bonnet and a hollow tube; to stabilize the deteriorating and friable leather spine.

Materials used:
Wheat starch paste (Colophon) - mixed 4:1, cooked for 20 min.
Methyl cellulose (Fisher) - 4000 cp 2.5% mixed in hot, then cold deionized water
Wheat starch paste/methyl cellulose mix (50/50)
Elvace PVAc 45675 (Talas)
Lascaux 498 HV (Talas)
Klucel-G in 90% isopropyl alcohol (Talas)
SC6000 acrylic wax (Leather Conservation Center)
Machine-made Japanese paper (who)
Kizukishi (University Products)
Heavy kozo (Hiromi HM-10)
Airplane linen washed in cold distilled water to remove size (Talas)
Acrylic colors mixed with methycellulose

1. The hollow tube was mechanically split and removed from the spine. The friable spine was placed in an enclosure to prevent further abrasion or loss of fragments.
2. The spine linings and protein adhesive were swelled with methyl cellulose and removed.
3. The sewing was inspected for durability and evaluated as intact. The textblock was consolidated with wheat starch paste, and new linings were introduced on the spine: first, a layer of machine made japanese paper adhered with wheat starch paste, then an overhanding linen lining adhered with PVAc, then two western paper linings adhered with PVAc. The endbands were re-attached prior to the two western paper linings.
4. The detached boards were prepared for rebacking by lifting the spine-edge leather on the front and back covers and the pastedown. Due to the rough and pulpy nature of the boards, lifting was often uneven.
5. The deteriorated leather on the spine and covers was treated with three applications of Klucel-G leather consolidant. The remaining heavy cardboard from the hollow tube that was attached to the back of the spine was delaminated and pared, and the spine was relined with Kizukishi.
6. A new spine bonnet was crafted from heavyweight Hiromi HM-10 and toned to match the leather with acrylic colors mixed with methylcellulose.
7. A hollow tube was constructed with Hiromi HM-10 to the same height as the textblock and adhered two-on to the spine of the textblock with wheat starch paste.
8. The boards were put in place and the Japanese paper bonnet was sized for placement under the lifted leather.
9. The Japanese paper bonnet was adhered to the cover boards and the case was detached from the hollow tube while the wheat starch paste was still wet to allow for the turning-in of the Japanese paper bonnet at the head and tail. Cotton was placed in the headcap and endcap to produce a swelling that simulates the behavior of leather.
10. The case was re-attached to the textblock by adding, once again, wheat starch paste to adhere the hollow tube to the textblock.
11. The lifted leather of the covers was reattached using wheat starch paste.
12. The airplane linen was inserted under the pastedown and adhered with wheat starch paste; the lifted pastedown was then put back in place using wheat starch paste.
13. A strip of toned Kizukishi was put in place in the joint of the front and back to cover the visible strip of airplane linen.
14. The spine was re-attached to the case with Lascaux 498 (a dry adhesive).
15. Colored pencils were used to further tone the small regions of the Japanese paper bonnet visible between the spine and the boards; SC6000 wax was used to simulate the high sheen of the adjacent leather on the spine edge of the boards.
16. The leather was determined to be much less friable than prior to treatment, so an enclosure is not necessary.