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Treatment Report
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Call #: Oversize KD 313 J32 1729
Temporary I.D. #  PCS 03-62

Title: A new law dictionary: containing the interpretation and definition…
Imprint: 1729

Description/Condition:

Covering/Binding:
The item is a rigid board, laced binding covered in full sheep. The leather is in very poor condition. It is abraded and friable. The grain layer is delaminating from the flesh layer, and there is substantial red rot. The front board is completely detached, and the back board is loose. All of the board corners are bent and delaminated.  

Textblock:
The book was sewn on raised hemp cords. The sewing pattern is not visible, as the textblock is intact for the most part. The text block is a tight back structure, that has been rounded and backed.  The double folio sewn-on endleaves and the half title page are detached. There are several graphite annotations on the inside of the cover. There is a large tear on the title page, and several small holes created by abrasion of the supports on the last page. There is evidence that there were red and white endbands.    

Treatment proposal:

  1. Remove original boards

  2. Clean spine

  3. Consolidate and line textblock

  4. Mend and fill tears on title page and last page

  5. Rebind in 1/4 style calf, with hand-marbled paper

  6. House original boards and endsheets in 4-flap box. 

Treatment:  

The objective of this treatment was to improve the ability to handle the book without causing further damage, while maintaining the look of an 18th century binding. This objective was achieved by removing the partially detached boards and rebinding the textblock.

Materials:      
Colophon wheat starch paste (wsp) mixed 4:1, cooked for 20 min.
Fisher 4000 cp 2.5% mixed in hot, then cold deionized water Methyl cellulose
Wheat starch paste/methyl cellulose mix (50/50)
PVA (Elvase)
Kizukizhi (University Products)
Japanese paper toned with acrylic paint
Aero linen, washed in deionized water
Best Blake unbleached machine thread, 2 strands
Barcham Green "Dover" 
Barcham Green "Bodeleian"
Hewit Bookcalf, medium brown 
Hand marbled "stone" pattern on machine-made paper from Ian Harkness 
Acid-free binder’s board (Talas)
40 point lig-free board (Conservation Resources)

  1. The front board was already completely detached. The partially detached back board was removed mechnically.

  2. The leather on the spine was removed mechanically with a microspatula. The leather that could not be removed mechanically was softened with a methyl cellulose poultice and removed mechanically.

  3. The spine was lined over the supports with kizukishi and wheat starch paste/methyl cellulose mix, and allowed to dry overnight.

  4. Tears on the title page and small holes in the last two pages were mended and filled with toned Japanese tissue.

  5. Oversize double folio Barcham Green "Dover" endsheets were sewn on using a link stitch. New holes were punched between the supports to accommodate the link stitch. A Japanese paper hinge was applied over the link stitch to tighten the attachment at the top of the shoulder. The hinge was split in such a way that it was adhered under the head and tail of the endsheet, and over the rest of the endsheet, providing a secure under/over attachment.  

  6. A slotted aero linen lining was applied to the spine with wheat starch paste. 

  7. A patch lining of Barcham Green "Bodelian" was adhered to the spine with paste.   

  8. Endsheets were trimmed to the size of the textblock.

  9. Oversize boards were constructed with a layer of Davey board sandwiched between two pieces of 40 pt. board, adhered with PVA. After trimming in the guillotine, the boards were too short in the fore edge, so mat board was adhered to the edge in order to increase the square. The boards were constructed as split boards, with the split at the top of the board. 

  10. The boards were attached to the text block by placing the overhanging edges of the linen lining in the split portion of the board and adhering with PVA/methyl cellulose mix.

  11. Calf was pasted over the spine and attached boards in a quarter-style binding. 

  12. The remaining uncovered portion of the boards were covered with hand marbled paper, using PVA mix. 

Completion of this treatment is currently pending, as discussions with the curator regarding finishing procedures are underway.

                 

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