TREATMENT REPORT
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Call Number: DG 806 H3 1972B/ ARCH ROWE
Temporary ID: PCS# 03-110

Title: Walks in Rome (Volume 2)
Imprint: 1872

DESCRIPTION / CONDITION
Covering / Binding
This monograph, second in a series of two being treated this semester (See Beth Heller's treatment of Walks in Rome, Volume 1), is a full cloth binding whose cover is torn, abraded and stained, with some surface grime overall. The spine is stamped with gold and red, and the decorative stamp extends on to the front board. The boards are tenuously attached; the thin cloth spine of the book is detaching from the rest of the case and the aged, brittle cheesecloth spine layer is the main functioning attachment of the boards to the textblock. The corners of the case are well worn and abraded.
Textblock
The textblock sewing (sewn in the 3-on style) is quite loose, split to a preferential opening at 3 locations. The spine linings, which consists of printers paper and the aforementioned cheesecloth, are weak and brittle. The edge of the book is uncut, and the paper is machine made, discolored by acidic influence at the perimeter, and displaying signs of foxing. The endleaves, which are a dark blue text weight paper with iron gall ink annotations on the front flyleaf, are single folio and tipped on. The back endleaves are split

TREATMENT PROPOSAL
1. Remove the textblock from the current case
2. Surface clean overall
3. Resew (all along) and add new spine linings
4. Reback with boards off using tinted cloth, re-attach original spine.

TREATMENT

Objective: To stabilize the case binding by rebacking with a new cloth spine bonnet, toned and sized to match the covering material. To stabilize and insure ease of use of the textblock by resewing and adding new spine lininings, as well as by creating a properly fitted case to protect the textblock.

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)
SC6000 acrylic wax (Leather Conservation Center)
Best Blake unbleached machine thread, 2 strands
Mohawk Superfine 70lb paper
Kizukishi (University Products)
Airplane linen washed in cold distilled water to remove size (Talas)
Acrylic colors mixed with methycellulose

1. The textblock was removed from the case by cutting the cheesecloth lining visible in the split of the endleaves at the back of the book and by carefully cutting the endleaves at the front of the book in the joint.
2. Textblock pages were collated and enclosures were noted. One handwritten note was discovered and kept in its location.
3. The old paper, cheesecloth, and protein glue linings were swelled with methyl cellulose and removed mechanically.
4. The sections were individually evaluated for guarding needs while being brushed clean.
5 . The folios in the first and last section of the textblock were guarded with Kizukishi.
6 . The textblock (26 sections with 4 folios per section) was resewn all along with link stitch, using new holes at 3 sewing stations in addition to kettles at the head and tail. Inner stays were added to the first and last sections.
7 . New layers were introduced to the spine of the textblock: first, a layer of wheat starch paste, then a layer of Kizukishi, then a layer of airplane linen attached with PVAc, and finally a layer of 70 lb Mohawk paper also adhered with PVAc.
8. The case was separated from its tenuously attached formation into two separate boards and a spine.
9. The corners were consolidated with paste by injecting paste into the delaminated corner layers with a syringe; the corners were then pressed between board. The loose fragments of the covering materials were similarly consolidated with paste.
9. The spine edge board cloth was lifted, as were the spine edge pastedowns, using a lifting knife and a microspatula to prepare for rebacking.
10. To create the reback bonnet, airplane linen was lined with Kizikishi with wheat starch paste, toned with acrylic paints mixed with methyl cellulose, and sized afterwards once again with methyl cellulose for a smooth and somewhat shiny finish.
11. With the boards positioned to their original location against the newly sewn textblock in a lying press, the toned cotton bonnet was placed between the board and lifted cloth and attached with mix of PVAc and methyl cellulose. It was then pull to fit across the spine and attached between the second board and lifted covering material.
12. The overhanging airplane linen from the textblock was then placed between each of the boards and the lifted pastedown and was adhered with PVAc.
13. Kizukishi toned to match the endleaves with acrylic colors mixed with methyl cellulose and distilled water was cut to cover the overhanging spine lining visible in the joint.
14. The original spine was cleaned of its cardboard backing from the original case spine lining and relined with Kizukishi. It was positioned back on the newly rebacked spine and adhered with wheat starch paste.

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