Conservation Treatment of a 17th Century Book Spine
Written by CU Boulder Libraries’ Conservator Hillary Morgan
By the late 17th century, the advent of printing by moveable type in Europe had triggered a new evolution in bookbinding practices. The speed of printing and an ever-increasing literate proletariat demanded a faster pace for the binding of books. This led to new binding structures and certain features that when seen today can be indicative of books made during this time period.
Our copy of Synopsin criticorum, aliorumque scripturaes Interpretum & commentatorum, à Matthaeo Polo adornatam was printed in 1694 in what is now modern-day Frankfurt, Germany. It is a great example of this shift in binding structure. It also shows how sometimes the original structure of a book can play a role in how well it survives over time.
First acquired by the CU Boulder University Libraries between 1969-1970, this binding was missing sections of its leather spine covering and what remained was detached from the book. While this allowed us to get a good look at the text-block spine and how it was made, it was not ideal for long-term accessibility and preservation. This page will detail the steps we took in Preservation and Collections Care to stabilize the spine of this book, while still maintaining evidence of its history.
Want to get a closer look for yourself? When not on exhibit, you can request to view this book from our Rare Books Collection at the CU Boulder University Libraries!
First Steps
Questions
When an item like Synopsin criticorum is requested for conservation treatment, a standard series of questions are asked to narrow down what treatment methodology will be best.
These questions include, but are not limited to:
- How is this item currently stored?
- How often is this item accessed?
- Is this item digitized?
- Does this item have any damage that will continue to get worse without intervention (e.g. mold)?
The questions then narrow down to those related to the specific object. In the case of Synopsin ciritcorum, they included:
- How was the spine originally attached?
- Did this structure contribute to its current condition?
- Can the spine covering be re-built with minimal intervention to the current structure of the binding?
- Can this treatment be reversed if needed in the future?
- Are there any other mends to the binding that need to be completed first?
Flexible Tight-Back Spine vs Hollow-Back Spine
Using evidence on the binding, research of bindings from this time period and place, and referencing copies in other institutions, we were able to determine the original structure of the spine covering. The spine covering was created from a full piece of leather, which was ahdered directly to the spine of the text-block pages.
As the book opened and closed the leather flexed with the spine, putting stress on the adhesion point between the leather and text-block and creating vertical creases in the leather. If we readhered the original leather directly to the spine it would experience that same stress during use leading to potential further wear and loss.
Making a Plan
It was decided that a hollow-back structure could be created to avoid this stress while still being minimally invasive to the original binding structure. Our new spine covering was created based on the method developed by Andrew Honey, now called the "Honey Hollow." The leather on the covers was also already lifted away from the boards, creating easy access to slot in the edges of our new spine covering.
Treatment Carried Out
Tear Mends and Stabilizing Cover Attachments
Tear mends were carried out to the first few pages of the text-block using a water soluble adhesive and flexible, light-weight Japanese tissue. The loose attachment of the front cover was also addressed so that it would not cause further stress on our new spine covering.
Stabilizing the Text-Block Spine
The text-block spine was then checked for any areas that needed stabilization or that we wanted to make sure were preserved. A lifting corner to an original cloth spine lining was re-adhered. A broken thread on one end-band was also stabilized, as this would be harder to address once the spine covering was created.
Creating Spine Mold
A spine mold made from Japanese tissue created the base for our new spine covering. The binding was placed into a press and the spine was wrapped with a flexible plastic wrap. Seven layers of medium-weight Japanese tissue were then added one at a time with wheat starch paste, inlcuding extra Japanese tissue over the raised sewing cords.
Once dry, the mold was popped off of the plastic and set aside to prep our final layers.
Creating Flexible Hinges
To attach the spine covering to the cover boards, a linen textile was used. It was adhered over our spine mold with a solvent soluble adhesive. The linen was chosen as a strong and flexible material to move with the hinges between the spine and the covers.
Blending in the New Spine
The final layer of our new spine covering was Japanese tissue paper tinted with acrylic paint. The paint was used to blend the tissue with the color of the original leather. The original leather covering sections were then adhered over-top of this layer with a lining of Japanese tissue paper and solvent-soluble adhesive.
Attachment of Original Leather Covering
Finally, the completed new spine covering was slotted into the space between the leather covering and the cover boards and adhered with a mixture of water and solvent-soluble adhesive.
Conclusion
This new spine covering will help make this book more accessible and stable for patrons. while still helping to preserve the history of how this book was made. Conservation of cultural heritage often means exploring what makes an item unique and developing a treatment plan that preserves those characteristics, while also addressing its long-term needs. While there are no one-size-fits-all treatments and sometimes the best course of action is not treating an item at all, it is satisfying when a balance can be found.
