“Please fix this bad fix” is a surprisingly large percentage of my job. This book was sent to me because someone had replaced one of the pages with a photocopy (actually TWO photocopies glued together to make a two-sided copy) by taping it to the adjacent original pages in the book. Sigh.
Sometimes my job as a conservator involves encapsulating the flowers that were sent in a 19th century envelope addressed to the 19th century novelist and poet George Meredith. Polyester encapsulation is not the same as lamination; the inert polyester plastic is never directly adhered to any of the items within, only the edges are sealed […]
Repeat after me: Conservators save paper. Conservationists save trees. Every time a journalist or press release gets this wrong, it makes me want to scream. Please, help spread the right word about what conservators do!
Since I haven’t had much time to take photos of my current work, here’s a throwback photo instead! These are some of the textblocks I made for my historical book models in grad school. The top is for a laced vellum case, on alum tawed thongs with a primary endband on an alum tawed core. […]
But the only other option is using the paper washing sink which has way more space (and water!) than you need…
Well, at least it’s done. Even though I want to keep fiddling with it…
A magazine that caters to both individualists AND Egyptophiles! It later changed it’s name to “The Phoenix” but it still remained a Magazine of Individuality. Found in our special collections, this was brought to me because the curator suspected mold. Fortunately, it just turned out to be dirt and foxing. Several issues are also available online, […]
Library propaganda! by Suzy Via Flickr: TGIF! Also, for those curious: the original poster was created by Albert Dorne in 1942 for the US Government Printing Office (which therefore makes it public domain). You can find more great WW2 propaganda posters on Northwestern University’s repository. [The above image is from the Northwestern University repository database of […]
sonofahurricane: npr: conservethis: Roses are red, Violets are blue, If you put tape on your books, I’ll never EVER love you. As a book-lover I support this valentine. -Mabinty can someone explain to me why we hate tape on books? Like book tape (when my mom could spare it) has saved a couple of my […]