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This is a great example of the sort of analysis that should be accessible to all collections of a similar time period

Just in case you needed another reason to wash your hands… 

The vibrant emerald green cloth on these bindings gets its shocking color from copper acetoarsenite, more commonly known as arsenic. The inorganic pigment was also famously used in Victorian era wallpaper. 

The bindings seen here, along with others in our collection, were tested by Melissa Tedone, Conservator at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, in December 2019 as part of the Poison Book Project. The sample is comprised largely of green cloth case bindings, but some green paper (upper left) also tested positive. They have since been properly rehoused, along with updated safe handling instructions. Read more about the Poison Book Project here.

Wishing you all a wonderful and nontoxic #greenpublishersbindingThursday!

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We couldn’t resist.

“A Reading from Homer,” 1885, by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. "The Park Bench,“ 1946, by Horace Pippin ”Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool, Giverny,“ 1899, by Claude Monet. ”Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross (The Gross Clinic),“ 1875, by Thomas Eakins.

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Library Preservation at Harvard: This video really explains the value of collection preservation for teaching and research; a lot of other institutions have equally valuable resources, and they struggle along with a much smaller pool of resources (staffing, endowment$, visibility) than Harvard

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a nice wall of weights!

I finished recovering the bricks in the lab today and am pretty happy with the results. Gotta love a clean, freshly covered brick. Now with flat sides and no holes! #conservation #specialcollections https://www.instagram.com/p/BnW0AYwAh1F/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rdbrtt5ny2dv

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Rubber cement on the object (verso of artwork, above); pressure-sensitive tape and rubber cement collected on a blotter

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Carbon steel spatula + tacking iron= rubber cement removal

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Installation of argon-filled encasements at NMAAHC

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more fun with pressure sensitive tapes

Adhesive tapes are not for art. In this video, MoMA conservator Erika Mosier treats a sticky situation. Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel.

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pressure sensitive tape = job security for paper conservators!

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A post shared by MSU Libraries Conservation Lab (@msulconslab)

Linsey, one of our Conservation Technicians, is working on removing some dried tape residue with a small spatula. #taperemoval #tapeisevil #paperrepair #paperconservation #specialcollections #conservation #librariesofinstagram (at MSU Libraries)

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UV Magic!

Heather Bain, a graduate student from @uicb was taking a look at some pages under UV light in order to see some faded marginalia and inscriptions. Heather is compiling information about the copy-specific features of our incunables for inclusion in the Material Evidence in Incunabula database, part of the 15cBOOKTRADE Project. 

 She was very kind to share some photos with us. Here’s what Heather had to say about it:

“As you can see, in visible light you can just barely tell that the inscriptions are there at all, but they’re much clearer under UV. I especially like the inscription in the top right margin (image uvlight) that says “Joannes 1616 emit me” or “John bought me in 1616”. There’s also an inscription from Claudius Mingron (?–not sure about his last name) from 1672, another owner’s inscription at the top, and some Latin that is unfortunately still not very legible inside the versal.

The book is a copy of the Legenda Aurea of Jacobus de Varagine from 1480 (Call # BX4654 .J3 1480). The inscriptions were washed or bleached out after the book was rebound in the 18th century, as was common practice.”

THANKS HEATHER!

PSA:  Always protect your eyes when working with UV light.

-Colleen

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To keep you books in great shape, make sure you follow this tip when shelving. #preservation #preventativeconservation #protip #shelfie (at MSU Libraries)

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Visible structure through damage is a valuable tool for anyone studying historical book structures. This German paper case binding us detached from the textblock, giving us a tantalizing glimpse into how it was made. #conservation #bookbinding #bookhistory #structure (at MSU Libraries)

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Some conservation related gifs for the 30th anniversary of the gif 

Preservation Week: Day 5 (part 2 of 2)

It’s the American Library Association’s Preservation Week, and we’ve been sharing some glimpses into The Huntington’s preservation department.

Earlier today, we shared some gifs in which book conservator Kristi Westberg was scraping away old adhesive and degraded leather from an 18th-century book that had detached spine leather and broken joints. The gifs here show the next stage of the process: adding a new paper lining to the spine. Spine linings help support the sewing and pages while the book is open. First, Kristi spreads a layer of wheat starch paste onto a strip of Japanese tissue that she’s already cut to size. She transfers the paste-laden tissue to the book and lays it on the spine. Then she presses the tissue into place first with her fingers, tamps it down with a brush, and finally smooths everything into place with a bone folder.

Once this layer dries, Kristi will adhere a thin layer of something called airplane cotton and another piece of Japanese paper that has been toned with acrylics before re-adhering the original spine leather.

As the week comes to a close, we invite you to check out our other Preservation Week posts:

Day 1: making solvent set tissue

Day 2: map repair

Day 3: making wheat starch paste

Day 4: testing pigment stability

Day 5 (part 1): removing old adhesive and degraded leather from a book spine

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Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the GIF with an #ArchivesGIF!

Looking for that perfect vintage GIF? Come find animated history of all flavors including major historic events, celebrities, National Parks, newsreels, animated patents, dancing WACs, and more on the National Archives Channel on @giphy!

#HappyBirthdayGIF!

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Happy 30th Birthday GIF!  We love you!

(and can’t believe people still pronounce your name wrong.)

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Magnified eyes of Blanton, Blount, and Braxton from the Hampton Institute class of 1902 in the Harvey Library at Hampton University. I’m guessing that the process is Woodburytype, based primarily on context and condition. All of the student portraits in the senior class souvenir book were printed separately and glued onto the pages. The color is neutral black without any discoloration or silver mirroring. There is a matte emulsion, but no discernible baryta layer to block out the texture of the paper support (fibers are visible throughout).

I knew that there was a Cheyne Studio collection at the Hampton History Museum, but it turns out that the collection has business records and many glass plate negatives, without much information about the studio’s working methods and processes. Their collection contains the works of Christopher Ethelbert Cheyne and William Ethelbert Cheyne between 1894 and the 1960s.