Smithsonian Libraries

The Fix: Lectiones Cutlerianae

An interesting book with an intriguing provenance arrived in the conservation lab this month from The Dibner Libray of the History of Science and Technology.  “Lectiones Cutlerianae”, a book created from the collection of six lectures given by the English philosopher and polymath, Robert Hooke, from 1674-1678, was published in 1679. The book is part of the Heralds of Science collection. The lectures touch on various topics including the annual motion of the earth, a description of helioscopes and microscopical discoveries. Hooke was a contemporary and bitter rival of Isaac Newton.  He was also a close friend of the architect Christopher Wren.  Hooke conducted over half of the surveys in London after the great fire of 1666 that Wren utilized in his plan to re-build the city after the disaster.

 

 

Lectiones Cutlerianae, before treatment, cover.

 

Our particular copy of “Lectiones Cutlerianae” belonged to Baron Grenville former Prime Minister of England (1806-1807) and Chancellor of Oxford University.  The binding bears Grenville’s armorial seal on the front and back covers.  The book has been previously re-backed, with a new piece of leather on the spine, as well as re-sewn.  The re-sewing led to pressure being placed on the title page, causing a tear. There was also an unsightly previous attempt at paper repair to one of the 17 plates in the book.

 

 

Lectiones Cutlerianae, before treatment, previous repair

 

The title page was humidified using Gore-Tex sprayed with de-ionized water.  The page was then re-attached, this time to the page below it using wheat starch paste and Japanese tissue. 

 

 

Lectiones Cutlerianae, after treatment, title page.

 

As the book was re-sewn, the plates were attached with tabs.  It was a simple procedure to humidify the tab portion of the plate enough to entirely remove it from the textblock.  With the plate removed, the plate could be immersed in de-ionized water to remove the previous paper repair.  The washing also lessened the appearance of tide lines on the plate (from previous water damage.)  Once the plate was dried and flattened the repairs were re-done and the plate re-attached to the tab. 

 

 

Lectiones Cutlerianae, after treatment, newly repaired plate.

 

— Katie Wagner

The Fix: L’Assiette au Beurre

There are times when we receive items in the Book Conservation Lab that have been altered from their original format.  This was the case with a seven volume set of L’Assiette au Beurre, a French social protest magazine from the early twentieth century, from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum Library.  

 

Before treatment – detached spine

 

The magazine was published from 1901-1912 and featured the drawings, mainly caricatures, by many well known artists such as Juan Gris, Théophile Alexandre Steinlen and Frank Kupka.  Through caricature, these artists poked fun at the wealthy, police, politicians, the military, the church, and other established or bourgeois groups as well as addressing social and political issues of the Belle Epoque era.

 

Covers

 

The individual issues had been bound commercially by year into modern buckram covered cloth bindings.  This oversewn binding structure placed considerable stress on the already brittle issues of the magazine causing damage and breakage. 

 

Cover in Bound Volumes

 

As a result, the decision was made to dis-bind the issues.  The issues were carefully removed from the binding, cleaned, repaired and then placed in individual Mylar L Sleeves.  The issues were then placed in custom made double tray boxes by year.  Researchers can now access any of the issues without unnecessary wear to the entire year’s run of issues.

 

 

After Shots of Box

— Katie Wagner

 

 

 

The Fix: Die Branchienschnecke

Welcome to our monthly preservation feature! We're calling it "The Fix". What do you think?

 

The Smithsonian Institution Libraries has hundreds of pamphlet bindings in its rare book collections bound during the mid to late 20th century when the long term effects of acidic bindings was not yet realized.  One of these pamphlets is “Die Branchienschnecke,” an article about snails from around 1820, by Franz von Paula Gruithuisen.  The pamphlet came to the Conservation Lab from the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Library of Natural History bound in an acidic pamphlet binder.  The acid from the binder had discolored the first and last pages of the pamphlet.  The paper was otherwise high quality and in good condition with one color plate.  Additionally, the pamphlet has the bookplate of William Healey Dall (1845-1927), the eminent malacologist who worked at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and donated hundreds of rare books and publications.

 

Before treatment – Pamphlet cover and bookplate

Before treatment – Title page and colored plate

 

Due to the discoloration of the paper, the paper was washed in de-ionized water and buffered in a Calcium Carbonate solution. After drying and pressing, the pages were re-sewn and a new case was created using handmade paper.  The bookplate was removed from the old acidic covers and placed in the same position on new acid-free end-papers.

 

 

After treatment – front cover and bookplate

 

After treatment – Title Page and Color Plate

The Smithsonian Institution Libraries has many pamphlets in need of repair.  Some of these pamphlets are part of the Adopt-A-Book Program. The program provides funds for the purchase or preservation of items for or in the library’s collection.

—Katie Wagner

Saving the Exposition Universelle De 1889

Exposition Universelle De 1889 is one of the many items about World’s Fairs in the SIL collection. It came to the Conservation Lab from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum Library in New York. It consists of 23 plates depicting various houses from around the world as part of the “Human Habitat” section of the fair as well as 12 pages of introductory text. To put this in an historic perspective, this was the World’s Fair that took place in Paris, France with the newly completed Eiffel Tower as its entrance!

The item arrived in poor condition with soiled and water damaged paper. Tide marks from previous exposure to water were visible on every plate. The plates were housed in a portfolio that was missing the back cover. As a result of missing the cover, many of the plates were damaged at the corners and edges.

 

Before treatment - first page

 

Before treatment - plate with tide marks

 

Step one was to dry clean page with finely ground eraser crumbs. This is a relatively gentle way to remove surface dirt. The crumbs are rubbed over the soiled areas with the tips of the fingers. Multiple applications of the crumbs can be made. Due to the extensive tide marks from previous water damage, the decision was made to wash the plates in de-ionized water to remove impurities and tone down the tide marks. This may seem counterintuitive – why subject them to water again? The original exposure to water was partial and this results in the tide marks. By re-immersing the plates, the acid build up in the paper can be reduced and the tide marks washed mostly away.

 

During treatment paper washing

 

After washing and drying the plates were re-housed in a new, acid-free portfolio. The portfolio was covered in a stone patterned hand marbled paper, similar to the style of the original. An added custom fit enclosure was created so that the plates remain relatively immobile in their new home!

 

Plate, after conservation treatment.

After treatment new portfolio

— Katie Wagner