The first three sections were loose, and in need of mending.
The front board after leather consolidation with isopropyl alcohol and Klucel G, and a cut-away model I made of the endsheet and board construction.
A close up of the split board and end sheet construction.
The end sheets were a three folio, cloth hinge construction with a made marbled end sheet and pastedown.
Boston Athenæum Conservation Treatment Report
Report number: 2014.074 Conservator: Marianna Brotherton Date: 11/14/2014
Call number: B.A. 13 .9 (1831) v. 3 (Index M-Z)
Link to Catalog: http://catalog.bostonathenaeum.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=418248
Author/Artist: Boston Athenaeum.
Title: Catalogue of tracts, scientific and alphabetical index. [v. 3 (Index M-Z)]
Place of Publication: Boston
Date of Publication: 1831
Call number: B.A. 13 .9 (1831) v. 3 (Index M-Z)
Link to Catalog: http://catalog.bostonathenaeum.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=418248
Author/Artist: Boston Athenaeum.
Title: Catalogue of tracts, scientific and alphabetical index. [v. 3 (Index M-Z)]
Place of Publication: Boston
Date of Publication: 1831
CONDITION
Binding: Received one full leather binding in brown leather. 44cm x 29cm x 4.5cm. Blind tooled panels decorate the front and back boards, and a gold decorative roll traces the outer panel. The inside board edges are decorated with blind tooling. "Boston Athenaeum" is tooled in gold across the center of the front board. A library cataloging sticker is affixed to the lower left corner of the front board. The volume is in poor condition.
The leather suffers from red rot and abrasions overall. The board edges are worn and the corners are bumped. The spine leather is missing, and is unlined. The front board is completely detached, while the back board is attached, but the middle parchment tape is split at the shoulder.
Paper/media: The text block is beige (1) in color and ruled, moderately thick in weight, and smooth in texture [Print Council of America, 1996]. Moderate surface grime and light staining throughout. The head, tail and foredge is marbled, and suffers from severe surface grime. The sections are heavily dog eared at the tail of the spine, and the title page is tattered and torn along the foredge. The title folio and first folio have separated from the text block. Overall, the text block is in poor condition.
Endpapers: The paste down and first fly leaf are brown marbled paper, the remaining fly leaves are plain cream 2 medium 2, smooth [Print Council of America, 1996]. The three folio endsheets are made to the marbled paper, with a stuck in cloth joint, and a reinforcing cloth guard at the sewing. The front endsheets are attached to the loose board, while the back endsheets remain fully attached to the board and text block.
Sewing: Sewn all along on five parchment tapes. The sewing is broken in some places, full extent of damage is uncertain. At the head the remnants (1.5cm long) of a flat core endband, sewn with pink and white alternating thread remains loosely attached.
Forwarding: Text block was rounded and lightly backed, with a 1.5 cm groove between board and shoulder. Shoulder is at 30 degree angle.
The leather suffers from red rot and abrasions overall. The board edges are worn and the corners are bumped. The spine leather is missing, and is unlined. The front board is completely detached, while the back board is attached, but the middle parchment tape is split at the shoulder.
Paper/media: The text block is beige (1) in color and ruled, moderately thick in weight, and smooth in texture [Print Council of America, 1996]. Moderate surface grime and light staining throughout. The head, tail and foredge is marbled, and suffers from severe surface grime. The sections are heavily dog eared at the tail of the spine, and the title page is tattered and torn along the foredge. The title folio and first folio have separated from the text block. Overall, the text block is in poor condition.
Endpapers: The paste down and first fly leaf are brown marbled paper, the remaining fly leaves are plain cream 2 medium 2, smooth [Print Council of America, 1996]. The three folio endsheets are made to the marbled paper, with a stuck in cloth joint, and a reinforcing cloth guard at the sewing. The front endsheets are attached to the loose board, while the back endsheets remain fully attached to the board and text block.
Sewing: Sewn all along on five parchment tapes. The sewing is broken in some places, full extent of damage is uncertain. At the head the remnants (1.5cm long) of a flat core endband, sewn with pink and white alternating thread remains loosely attached.
Forwarding: Text block was rounded and lightly backed, with a 1.5 cm groove between board and shoulder. Shoulder is at 30 degree angle.
TREATMENT
Spot tests: Spot tested an inconspicuous area of leather with 2% Klucel-G in Ethanol, 2% Klucel-G in Isopropyl, and red rot cocktail.
Paper treatments: Text block is written in manuscript ink and graphite, and therefore dry cleaned sparingly with latex sponges. The first three sections were mended and filled with 1301 and 1303 hanji and wsp, toned with water color and susu. Several sections were guarded with 1303 hanji and wsp. Creases and folds were locally humidified and reinforced with thin wsp, and flattened under weight. Reinforced splitting of the front and back marbled paste downs with 1301 hanji tissue toned with watercolor.
Forwarding treatment: The first nine, and last two sections were reinforced with new sewing and loose airplane cotton tapes. The sewing was done with 18/3 thread. The tapes were sized with methyl cellulose. A loose guard was sewn between the single folio title section. Pasted up spine with wsp and adhered an extended patch lining of 1601 hanji tissue. Extended lining was used to reattach front loose board by adhering it into the split boards with pva. The spine was then lined with 1303 hanji tissue all along, and two layers of patched doves gray adhered with pva. The french joints were reinforced with wsp and 1305 hanji tissue. Attached loose remnant of end band to 1301 tissue toned with acrylics with pva, and adhered the piece to the head of the spine with pva.
Binding repair: Consolidated leather with 2% Klucel-G and Isopropyl alcohol. Adhered a hollow tube of dove`s grey onto the spine with pva. Toned 1901 hanji tissue with acrylics and adhered over the spine and into the grooves with pva. Polished tissue with sc6000.
Photographic record: Performed written and photographic documentation before and after treatment. Before treatment: 1. recto 2. verso 3. opening of title page 4. 3/4 spine After: 1. recto 2. verso 3. opening of title page 4. 3/4 spine
Date Completed: 12/3/2014
