For the majority of human history, when we wish to preserve something, we set it to paper. And until very recently, that has been the best technology we have when it comes to documenting and saving that which we find important. From grocery lists to love letters, great novels to birth certificates, our collective human history often amounts to little more than ink on paper.
When a conquering force invades a city, the first point of destruction is often libraries, archives, and municipal buildings, because when you destroy a people’s paper, you destroy their cultural memory. Yet there are many quieter threats that paper faces: mold, humidity, insects, and even the grease from our own fingers. Time and exposure can destroy as much and more than any hungry tyrant. That is why book restoration is such a critical, yet often overlooked art form. While it is important to transcribe historic works into electronic databases so future generations have access to that knowledge, old and rare books are historic heirlooms in and of themselves. Just like any great painting requires touch-ups and maintenance, so too do books. In some ways, the restoration of books is even more challenging, because while any responsible museum-goer knows you’re not supposed to touch the paintings, books serve a utilitarian purpose, and must not only be beautiful, but functional.
Conservationists therefore must balance the functionality of the book with the responsibility to preserve as much of the original material as possible. The goal is not to make the book look brand new, but to maintain its historic appearance while still enabling it to be safely used. These principles apply whether one is restoring a family bible passed down through the generations or an ancient text housed in a library’s special collections. There are two main aspects to a book: Its inside hinge (the flexible area where the cover and spine meet) and outer cover. When either of these elements becomes damaged, the book begins to fall apart. In addition, the interior leaves of the book can tear, come loose, or give way to moisture and smudging that make the text more difficult to read.
There are four main stages to any quality restoration: Deconstruction, Cleaning, Repainting, and Reassembling. The first step of the restoration process is surface cleaning. Books can accumulate a significant amount of dirt particles on the pages, which if mixed with water, will turn to mud and potentially damage the book. Surface cleaning is a technique that dry cleans the pages using a latex sponge. In the deconstruction stage, the conservator removes the cover from the text block by cutting away the sewing, this must be done gently, so as to not tear old and fragile pages. They also use a small knife to remove old tape or glue, which has long since hardened.
While it may sound counterintuitive to soak a book's worth of old pages in water, that is exactly what the cleaning process entails. If the text has been written by hand, conservators will test the ink to ensure it can safely interact with water and not run. With all the dirt and grease removed during surface cleaning, the pages are individually soaked in warm water and sprayed with a 50/50 combination of water and ethanol. This allows the paper fibers to open and release any more dirt and microscopic debris. The pages are then removed from the bath and left to air dry. If the book has a particularly ornate cover that needs restoration, the conservator will repaint it. It is important to ensure the color of the paint exactly matches that of the cover. There is also specific archival ink that can be applied using an extremely small point pen. Many old books have embossed gold covers. Gold leaf is very thin and therefore may have faded or peeled, shell gold watercolor can be used to fill in the gaps.
The final step is reassembly. Wheat paste is an incredibly strong adhesive that, when combined with Japanese tissue, is used to repair tears in the pages. Lastly, the text block is re-sewn to the cover with sturdy linen thread. Book restoration is time-consuming and intensive. In a high-speed world of instant gratification, ancient books require ancient techniques, and the average reader–of books old or new–often doesn’t realize the amount of labor that goes into restoring a book to its former glory. If you have an old book you would like to see restored, look into conservators near you who can give the book the care and attention it deserves. Future generations will thank you!
For More Information Visit:
“How Books Are Professionally Restored”
“How a One-Of-A-Kind 1850s Book is Professionally Conserved”
“Meet Amanda Buck, Rare Antiquarian Book Conservator & Restorer”
