Before Treatment

After Treatment





Treatment Report

Book of Spies (1966)

Identification


Condition and Description Summary

Case
This is a contemporary case binding that is fully covered in a modern, coated green paper that has abraded at the corners and board edges. The spine of the case is broken and missing at part of the head. The corners are bent and delaminating where the cloth has abraded away.

Textblock
The textblock is comprised of a thick, uncoated paper that has been smythe-sewn. There is no rounding or backing. The spine has been lined with a textile lining. There are stuck-on endbands at both head and tail.

Photo-documentation

Before Treatment: Studio lighting.

After Treatment: Studio lighting.

Treatment Objective
The goal of this treatment is to stabilize this item so that it may be safely used without causing additional damage.

Treatment Proposed

    1. Re-back with a cloth spine replacement.
    2. Consolidate corners with paste, cover with similarly colored moriki tissue.

Treatment Performed

    1. Removed broken spine piece from case.
    2. Created cloth spine replacement from 80# cover and bookcloth.
    3. Re-backed onto top of case using PVA mix. Since the paper covering was too brittle to lift, the cloth spine went over, rather than under the paper covering.
    4. Repaired tears in endpapers at inside joints using machine-made kozo tissue and PVA mix.
    5. Consolidated corners with paste and let dry under weights.
    6. Re-covered abraded corners with green moriki tissue.
Materials Used