Thursday, January 20, 2011

Derry Book 1

Fratris Do, CVM Privilegio, Parisiis (1549) is a full leather binding sewn on tanned leather cords. On receipt the sewing cords were broken at the joint leaving the boards detached from the textblock. The original tanned leather sewing cords were severely deteriorated and no longer supporting the sewing structure. In addition the front and back endpapers and last page of the textblock were folded and damaged.

Due to the sewing cords being so deteriorated they were removed and new linen cords were laced through the original sewing. For a detailed set of images describing this process please go here. Paper repair and guarding was done to the endpapers, last page and first section of the textblock. All repaired pages were then re-sewn to the textblock around the new sewing supports. The repaired textblock was then given a Japanese paper patch lining/flange to consolidate the textblock and attach the boards. The Japanese paper flange and the frayed out sewing supports were attached to the outside of the boards using wheat starch paste. For more images on this process please go here.


With the textblock consolidated and the boards reattached work on the leather case began by cutting it into three pieces (front cover, spine and back cover). This option was chosen as the leather case was shrunk and did not fit around the textblock. A new leather reback was attached to the spine with paste and tied up to give definition around the raised bands. For full photographic details go here. Finally the front and back cover leather and spine was reattached to the book and a custom box was constructed.
Front cover before conservation

Front cover after conservation
View of back cover before conservation
View of back cover after conservation
Inside of front cover and front endleaf before conservation

Inside of front cover and front endleaf after conservation

View of spine before conservation
View of spine after conservation