Making a Phase Box in 5 Minutes
The first time I learned about phase boxes, I was on a tour of The Leeds Library. It was conducted by their bookbinder, Brian Cole, who ventured up from the depths of the library basement to show us around.
conservation
Comics: Things to Avoid During Restoration
Too often, repairs to comic books are done by people with good intentions without a better understanding or training in the field of conservation. Okay, there are cases of bad intentions and no training, as well.
Comics: Their Sentimental and Trading Value
Old books tell lots of stories and often have sentimental value. They also offer a challenge for conservators. But what about comics? They are no exception.
Restoration of an 18th-Century Slavonic Liturgical Book
One of my most exciting projects was an 18th-century book I worked on for one of my restoration course final exams. The book was brought to me by a friend, and its story started to unveil as the months went by.
What Does it Take to Make the Thinnest Sheet of Paper?
Super thin paper made by Hidaka Washi Ltd. is used by museums and other institutions all over the world for conservation and restoration projects. But the technology of production dates back a thousand years.
Preserving Imperfections – Basics in Paper Conservation
I have a copy of The Fair Penitent by Nicholas Rowe, published in 1776. I found it in a rare bookstore. It has no boards, barely any spine left, and the frontispiece has been cut out.
Conserving Vulture Peak Series by the British Museum
This project is a bit out of our general scope. However, subject of cloth restoration and conservation in general and matters of working with silk in particular may be of interest to some of bookbinders.
Fixer of Books at the University of Virginia Conservation Lab
This wonderful and inspiring video, featuring Eliza Gilligan, a book conservator at the University of Virginia, is reach with an old book’s details and close-ups. A real pleasure to watch. As a bonus: some insights into how a conservator works and thinks.
Restoring Pages of a 300 Year Old Book
Here is a short video of a painstaking process of page restoration of a book first made in 1725. The video is posted by the Municipal Archive of Loulé (that’s a city and municipality in Faro District, Portugal).
Get Inside the Restoration Lab of the National Library of Spain
Sixteen members of the restoration and conservation team of the National Library of Spain are in charge of millions of documents held in the collection. Watch them performing some of theirs tasks in that short video.
Book Conservation Videos and Tutorials by Sherif Afifi
Sherif Afifi is a book and paper conservator at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt. He has a wonderful collection of videos dedicated to bookbinding, book conservation and care for the other paper-related materials.
The Anatomy of Restoration
Until the 2nd of April an amazing exhibition is open in Bucharest, Romania. Anatomia Restaurării (The Anatomy of Restoration) is dedicated to 25 years of conservation and restoration conducted at the the Muzeul Naţional de Artă al României (National Museum of Art of Romania).
Fascinating Process of Restoration of a 17th Century Map
This 17th century map was found in a chimney in Scotland. Map was so deteriorated, it seemed almost impossible to be restored. However, specialists from the National Library of Scotland have succeeded in recovering everything that was salvageable for this historical object.
Smart Archival Boxes, Trays and Portfolios
Smithsonian Institution Archives has just published a Vine showing the use of special enclosure for a historic photograph. That’s the first video posted on their channel and I hope we’ll get many more interesting illustrations for the smart ideas used in that institution. To find the full story (and diagrams) of the photo and specially tailored portfolio, you can visit their official blog.
