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Webster's New World Thesaurus - Cloth Reback

 

Before

 

During

After

 

 

Download Word Version of Treatment Report

 

TREATMENT REPORT

Date: April 28, 2006
Conservator:  Lauren Telepak
IDENTIFICATION OF ARTIFACT(S)  
Owner/Custodian: Perry Castaneda Library
Address:        The University of Texas at Austin
Curator/Contact:   Wendy Martin
Contact #:     512 495 4138
Call #:  UNCAT REF LTD LEVEL 6 MAIN NON-CIRC
Title:     Webster’s New World Thesaurus
Author:    Charlton Grant Laird
Date of Production: 1990
Approximate dimensions: 25 cm x 17.2 cm x 5.1 cm (binding)

                                         

Description and Condition Summary
Webster’s New World Thesaurus is bound in a red plasticized paper case with gold colored printing on the spine and front cover.  The covering material is torn and abraded at the front joint, leaving the spine partially detached.  The sewing and textblock are undamaged and the book still opens and functions properly.  The spine was consolidated with a heavy layer of synthetic adhesive.  Abraded covering material on the corners has left them soft and bent.

 

Treatment Objective
To return the book to circulation ensuring that it is strong enough to withstand a book drop.

 

Photodocumentation
Digital photographs in ambient light were taken for the before, during and after treatment photographs.

 

Treatment Proposed
Reback the book with a new cloth spine that will be adhered to the boards and under the paste-down at the turn ins without removing the boards.  Remount the spine and consolidate corners.

 

Treatment Performed

  1. Detached the spine from the back joint, being careful not to break the endsheets.
  2. Removed excess spine material from the spine edge of the boards.
  3. Prepared boards for rebacking:
    1. Cut covering material approximately 2.5 cm from the spine along the head and tail edge of the boards.
    2. Lifted 2 cm of cloth along the outside spine edge of the boards. 
    3. Lifted  2.5 cm square sections of the pastedowns at the turn ins.
  4. Constructed a cloth spine replacement with a paper-backed Canapetta cloth and 80# Mohawk cover-weight paper as a spine strip.
  5. Reconstructed the spine of the case by adhering the cloth spine replacement flanges under the lifted cloth on the boards with PVAc and methyl cellulose. 
  6. Wrapped new cloth over the board edges at the head and tail and tucked it under the lifted pastedown area at the turn ins.
  7. Reattached lifted cloth to the front of the board with PVAc.
  8. Re-adhered lifted portion of the pastedowns to the boards with PVAc.
  9. Remounted the old spine with PVAc.
  10. Stiffened corners with wheat starch paste.
  11. Tightened the hinges using PVAc.

m.s.i.s. candidate, university of texas at austin, school of information

c.a.s conservation candidate, kilgarlin center for the preservation of the cultural record