Rare Book Conservation: Medieval Hymnal

The 15th century manuscript hymnal before conservation treatment.

A stunning 15th century manuscript hymnal belonging to Wilfrid Laurier University Archives recently came to Book and Paper Conservation Services for treatment; the goal of the project was to stabilize the binding and flaking pigments in the illuminations so that it could be safely digitized by the Archives. University collections in Ontario hold many beautiful books, and they are often made available to students and researchers for study purposes; even rare volumes like this manuscript may be frequently accessed and therefore subject to material strain. Conservation treatment was a priority for this volume in order for it to be studied safely in the future.

Inside front cover joint loose, before conservation treatment.

The manuscript, which contains noted portions of the Mass for Franciscan use, is dated between 1450-1475, and is in a slightly later binding. The brass clasps and tooled cover design are very appropriate for the age and style of the volume, and there is a lovely illuminated initial on the first page of the book. Inside, the pages are predominantly parchment, but there is an additional section added in the rear of rag paper. The text and notations are executed in iron gall ink and vermillion red pigment, and the illumination is a combination of mineral pigments common to the period, as well as gold leaf.

First leaf showing illuminated initial, after conservation treatment.

There were several condition issues with the volume making it unstable and subject to further damage with each handling. The binding, consisting of leather covered boards and spine, was mainly intact, but attachment to the text block was weak and dependant only on the two sewing cords at front and back joints. There were several pages loose in the middle of the text block, and a careless reader had defaced 2 of the leaves as well as the inside rear paste down with hard, incongruous markings in graphite, resembling a child’s scribble. The text and illuminated initial on the first leaf were actively flaking, damage exacerbated with each opening of the volume and flexing of the pages.

Throughout much of the book, text had been intentionally removed through scraping in order to “edit” the contents, however this was deemed important bibliographical evidence and treatment was not designed to address the damage it had caused to the ink or parchment in these areas.

Detached paper leaf, before conservation.

Defaced parchment leaf, before conservation.

Although the attachment was weak the binding overall was in good condition, and it was decided that a minimal treatment approach to strengthen the object was the best course of action. A hinge reinforcement of strong but flexible Japanese paper was adhered inside both front and rear covers to add strength to the joints, with care taken not to introduce excessive moisture or to disturb the media.

After consultation with Archives staff, the graphite scribbles were deemed not bibliographically significant, and treatment was executed to carefully remove the marks without disturbing the original media.

Finally, the flaking pigment on the illuminated initial page was secured. Working with a small brush under magnification, the stable and reversible conservation adhesive Isinglass was used to consolidate the media.

Minor aesthetic issues were also addressed, such as exposed board corners and light surface soiling to the pages, bringing the object to its best possible state before it was returned to the client.

Consolidation of flaking pigment, during conservation treatment.

Defaced parchment leaf, before treatment.

After treatment, the scribbled mark has been removed.

The code of ethics outlined by the Canadian Association for Conservation of Cultural Property and the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators require conservators to prioritize reversibility of treatment process and transparency of procedure on objects we conserve; this takes the form of thorough photographic documentation of the object before and after treatment, and a written report describing the process and materials used. The documentation informs future curators and conservators of what was done and the rationale behind the treatment decisions, so that, if there is cause, the steps can be reversed at any point in the future.

This constitutes one of the major differences between “restoration” and “conservation”, a subtle but important distinction. While restoration, particularly of rare books, might focus on improving the appearance as well as stability of the volume, and often results in a very attractive object at the end, it is often done at the expense of reversibility. An unfortunate side effect can be the loss of original material important to the bibliographical and material history of the book. Book historians and scholars are increasingly aware that the materials and techniques used in producing a rare book, such as binding structure and types of materials, are invaluable to understanding its context and history. Loss of this evidence by a heavy-handed or highly interventive restoration can render a historic volume much less valuable!

A custom clamshell box was constructed to protect the manuscript after treatment.

The volume fits snugly in the archival clamshell box to prevent damage during transit.

The final step was to construct an archival clamshell box to protect the volume from handling and exposure. The box is made to snugly fit the book, preventing abrasion to the binding during transit and minimizing its exposure to light and dust when not in use. The clamshell box provides an attractive method of storing and identifying the book while keeping it protected.

Book and Paper Conservation Services is pleased to have contributed to the preservation of this fascinating manuscript; it will now be able to be safely digitized and the content accessed by Wilfred Laurier University researchers and students, and with luck will survive another five centuries!

For more information on our rare book conservation services, or to contact our studio for an estimate, please visit the links below.

Book Conservation: A 19th Century Carte de Visite Photograph Album

At Book and Paper Conservation Services the variety of objects we treat is broad, but they all have one thing in common - the owners or stewards of the objects have deemed them important enough to be preserved. We often receive objects of fascinating historical significance, and learning about the provenance of the item is one of the thrills of the job for an art conservator. 

An intriguing item came through our studio recently - a 19th century carte de visite photo album with an interesting theme and provenance. The album is from the collection of The Bishop Farrell Library & Archives at the Diocese of Hamilton, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

The Bishop Crinnon carte de visite photograph album, during conservation treatment.

History & Context

Although it was most recently part of the library of Bishop Ryan, the album originally belonged to Bishop Crinnon, who was the 2nd Bishop of the Diocese of Hamilton from 1874 - 1882. An inscription on the front free end paper indicates it was a gift presented to Crinnon in London, Ontario, in September 1864, when he was a dean of the Diocese of London. It was gifted by Fr. Joseph A. Kelly, a Dominican Friar serving at the time as the prior of St. Peter’s Church in London. Crinnon obviously brought the album with him when he transferred to Hamilton, where it eventually joined the collection of the Diocese.

The Bishop Crinnon carte de visite album before conservation treatment.

The album contains 89 cartes de visite displayed in specially made pages, inserted through slots in the bottom of two stiff sheets of cardboard and visible through die cut portrait openings. A large number of the photographs depict ecclesiastical figures, some identifiable and some not. Several of the cards have the sitter's name included, either printed on the card or inscribed by hand. It is an intriguing portrait collection of clergy from the early 19th century.

Bishop Crinnon carte de visite album, showing a spread of pages featuring portraits of clergy.

Cartes des Visite

The album is an example of a popular collecting trend of the second half of the 19th century, but with an important twist of theme and local significance. The carte des visite, a photograph mounted on a piece of card the size of a formal visiting card, was a common way to immortalize both celebrities and ordinary people, and they were produced by photographic studios around the world. Sitters would have cards produced for friends and family, and purchase or trade images of important personalities including royalty, politicians and men of arts and letters. 

Carte de visite from the Bishop Crinnon Album of Rev. Edward Gordon, first Vicar General for the Diocese of Hamilton

Verso of carte de visite, with inscription in graphite and logo of the Notman Studio, Montreal, Canada.

In the case of this album, the collector has compiled a group of photographs featuring ecclesiastical figures, along with some other notable heros of the day. The portraits may have been commercially distributed - much the way postcards are bought in souvenir shops today - or may have been gifts from personal acquaintances of the collector, especially if he was involved in the Roman Catholic community. Many have logos of photography studios in Canada printed on the verso, including ones from London, Hamilton and Toronto. There is at least one from the well-known Notman Studio in Montreal. The album is rich with historical context and provides an interesting opportunity for a study of Roman Catholic clergy in Canada in the late 19th century; the Archives of the Diocese of Hamilton are currently exploring the album's history. 

Conservation Treatment

The album arrived in our studio in rough condition. The main issue was damage to the binding, caused by years of handling of the inherently delicate materials; there was also a fine layer of grime on all of the materials, dulling the vibrancy of the pages and photographs.

Facing paper lifting from a page with the weight of the album.

Delicate cloth lining has broken at joint of the final page.

Photograph albums were manufactured in a variety formats in the 19th century, and a careful study was made of the mechanics of this particular album in order to understand the structure and to design an appropriate repair solution. The fabric lining attaching the thick card pages together had torn at the joint of the final page, a location which received a lot of strain whenever the album was accessed. As well, the weight and motion of the pages had caused delamination of the facing paper at several locations throughout the album. Repairs needed to be sympathetic to the original binding, while providing strength and stability, and still maintaining the mechanical action originally intended. 

New endbands were applied, in a style that matched the fragments of the originals.

Japanese tissue adhered with wheat starch paste was used to line the spine and repair the joint, the spine was strengthened with a new card stiffener, and new endbands were applied, in a style matching the remnants of the original materials. The binding and pages were surface cleaned to remove the grime, and each photograph was carefully removed from its slot, cleaned, documented on both recto and verso, and replaced. 

Each photograph was carefully cleaned, on both recto and verso, before being documented and replaced in the album.

The binding was cleaned to remove surface grime.

Before and after surface cleaning of the pages and gilding around the edge of the album.

The end result allows the album to be opened, carefully and with proper support, so that the cartes des visite can be viewed by researchers at the archives. The repairs have restored the original function of the album, and the cleaning has rejuvenated the portraits. Preservation of the photograph album will allow it to remain in the best possible condition for future study and appreciation, and we are very pleased to have worked with the Bishop Farrell Library & Archives at the Diocese of Hamilton to preserve this interesting artifact. 

After conservation treatment, the Bishop Crinnon carte de visite photograph album is clean and stable.

If you are interested in conservation for archival materials in your own collection, don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We provide conservation and restoration for documents, photographs and rare books, and we'll work with you to devise a preservation strategy to meet the needs of your object. Check out our portfolio of treatments and contact information below.

Book Conservation: Clamshell Boxes for Rare Books

Decorative clamshell box custom made to fit a rare book.

Conservation goes hand in hand with preservation - there is no point in putting in time and effort to conserve rare materials without also taking steps to ensure their preservation going forward. In many cases, preservation means ensuring that the object will be protected with proper storage and environment in the future, so that further deterioration or damage occurs as little as possible. 

For rare books, one option is to have a protective clamshell box custom made to fit the volume.

1657 volume inside custom clamshell box.

This 1657 British law book recently came through our studio for treatment. The conservation procedures were minimal, involving a few repairs to the binding and preliminary pages; however, the client opted to have a custom clamshell box made as well. 

Repairs to leather corners.

Surface cleaning the title page.

A clamshell box is a protective enclosure that can be custom made to fit any volume. The box opens like a book, with a tray on the bottom to hold the volume, and one on the top to cover it; the cover has a drop spine allowing the box to lay flat when open. When closed and placed on a shelf, it can look like a finely bound book itself, and can be fitted with a label on the spine to identify the volume inside. 

Clamshell boxes serve to protect rare volumes from dust and light exposure, and to mitigate changes in temperature and relative humidity, all factors that can cause deterioration to the paper and leather of antiquarian books.

This particular clamshell also functioned as a presentation box, as the book was intended as a gift on a special occasion for the recipient. The label on the front cover commemorates the occasion and the rich red cloth and traditional marbled paper inside provide a luxurious accent to the volume, at the same time as protecting it.

The book fits snugly inside the box, with no room to slide or rub.

While ready-made drop-spine solander boxes can be purchased from archival supply companies in a selection of standard sizes, the beauty of a custom clamshell box is that it is made to perfectly fit the volume it holds. Antiquarian books often measure in odd dimensions and a custom box will fit the book snugly, preventing it from sliding around inside, which could cause damage to the binding.

Construction of a custom clamshell box must be very precise in order to fit the volume snugly.

Rare book libraries and special collections often construct custom boxes to protect their most valuable volumes, and the boxes can be made decorative, as in the example above, or more plainly in a conservation style box, as those shown below. 

A conservation clamshell with plainer materials protects the book from dust and light.

If you have rare books that you want to protect and preserve, consider having custom clamshell boxes made to house them. Decorative and plain styles are available in a variety of colours and materials, and presentation boxes make a great accent for gifts or special occasions. Get in touch with us today to discuss your needs, or view our rare books conservation gallery to learn more about book conservation projects by our studio.