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[nyupreservation]

Preserving Leaf Paintings in an Anglo-Indian Commonplace Book, 1822-1825

Hello, I’m Alexa Machnik, a third-year graduate student at the Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts, NYU. I first came to the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation & Conservation Department in Fall 2022 as a student in the graduate course, Conservation in Context, taught by Laura McCann, Director of Preservation. During this course, we delved into the world of library conservation, exploring the value systems that guide preservation decision-making and treatment action in academic research libraries. One of my class projects involved rehousing delicate leaf paintings from an early 19th-century commonplace book, or friendship album, part of the Fales Library holdings in the Special Collections at NYU Libraries (figs. 1-2) [1]. In honor of Preservation Week, I will share the intriguing history of the book and discuss the decisions that were made to preserve the leaves.

Figure 1 [left]: Front cover of the commonplace book, bound in gold-tooled red morocco leather.   Figure 2 [right]: Ownership label of “Jane Harriet [Blechynden]” on front marbled pastedown.

The book in question was compiled by Jane Harriet Blechynden (1806-1827) in England between 1822 and 1825. It holds her personal collection of handwritten and acquired materials, with contributions from her sisters, Emma and Sarah, who wrote original poems about sisterhood, separation, and their Anglo-Indian ancestry. The three women were the daughters of a British merchant residing in Calcutta, and while born in India, they were educated in England [2]. There is not a great deal known about Jane Harriet’s life in England, but her impending return to India in 1825 is documented in an emotional verse by Emma (fig. 3):

“Thus in parting my sister we’re breaking a link / Which may ne’er be united again / And firm as that chain was ‘tis painful to think / That absence may send it twain.”

Figure 3: Excerpt from the original poem, “Parting and a Meeting,” signed by Emma.

Jane Harriet’s book offers insights into her personhood, social connections, and sensibilities as an artist and collector. In addition to written entries, she inserted a compendium of acquired materials–pressed flowers, her own original drawings, and numerous paintings–between pages of the book (figs. 4-6).

Figures 4-6 [left to right]: A small sampling of the ephemeral treasures found in the book, including a dried pressed flower, a drawing on pith possibly by Jane Harriet, and a cut-paper silhouette.

Notably, six of these paintings are executed on the dried leaves of the Bodhi tree, a sacred plant indigenous to Asia with distinct spade-shaped, long-tipped leaves (fig. 7) [3]. Although leaf painting has origins in Buddhist traditions, by the time Jane Harriet collected her leaf paintings, it had already evolved into a form of Chinese export art in Europe. Her leaves depict secular scenes of contemporary life in China and botanical subjects, which are typical of the export genre (fig. 8). Their inclusion in the book implies that Jane was among the many people who partook in the avid collecting of China trade goods during the first few decades of the 19th century, a time when European fascination for Chinese culture and art was at its peak. 

Figure 7: A leaf painting, as found loose in the book and partially lifted to show the thin, translucent nature of the leaf support.

Figure 8: Another leaf painting from the book, oriented with the leaf tip at the bottom of the image, depicting flowers and a butterfly.

The initial rush of excitement that I felt at finding the leaf paintings soon turned to concern as I gave thought to their long-term preservation at NYU Libraries, where researchers are expected to handle the book. The leaf paintings were loose in between the pages, which raised a series of “what ifs” about the potential dangers they could encounter. What if the leaves slip from the book? What if they bend or break as the pages are turned? What if the painted surfaces become abraded? The paintings were made with opaque pigment-based watercolors on exceptionally delicate, skeletonized leaves that have been primed with a thin organic coating. Despite being intact, their inherent fragility means that they are vulnerable to even the slightest touch. After considerable discussion, the Conservation Unit decided that in order for the leaf paintings to be preserved and safely accessed by researchers, they should be housed separately from the book. 

I thoroughly examined the condition of the leaves and the painted surfaces in order to make a housing recommendation. Despite some minor damage, all were in stable condition. Thus, the ideal housing would provide support to prevent any further damage, such as paint loss and leaf breakage, and at the same time allow the leaves to maintain their translucency. To achieve this, I opted to mount them in double-sided window mats with a support made from clear polyester film, or Mylar® [4]. The addition of the Mylar® would not only create a stable surface for the leaf paintings but also enable the viewing of both sides (fig. 9).

Figure 9: View of the double-sided window mat with a Mylar® support.

My next challenge was to figure out how to mount the leaves onto the Mylar® support without the use of adhesive [5]. After consulting with conservation staff and creating mock-ups, short, discreet Mylar® tabs were selected as the best option to secure them into place (figs. 10-11). For this process, I positioned a single leaf painting onto the support and selectively placed the tabs around its perimeter, making sure the tabs did not overlap any areas of paint. I then used a handheld spot-welding pen to fuse the tabs to the support. Since this process was done in-situ, near the leaf, it required lots of precision practice and encouragement from colleagues before I felt confident enough for the task.

Figure 10: Detail of a mounted leaf painting. Notice that the Mylar® tabs are welded just outside the leaf and extend minimally over the edges, holding it in place with gentle pressure.

Figure 11: The backside of a mounted leaf painting viewed through the Mylar® support. This gives researchers access to the painting’s verso, where an underdrawing and other signs of artistic process can be discerned.

At the time of writing this post, I successfully housed the six leaf paintings in their double-sided window mats (figs. 12-13). This housing project, while complete, is just one part of the ongoing effort to preserve the commonplace book, and the Conservation Unit is continuing work on other elements of the book to ensure its safe return to Special Collections.

Figure 12: Example of the completed housing, showing the front of a leaf painting.

Figure 13: Back of a leaf painting.

Though my involvement in the project has come to an end, I have gained a very special appreciation for the commonplace book and the preservation challenges it presents. The experience of learning directly from NYU Libraries Special Collections was especially invaluable, providing me with opportunities to participate in complex decision-making processes unique to large research libraries driven by user needs. Before signing off, I’d like to extend my gratitude to my supervisors, Laura McCann, Director, and Lindsey Tyne, Conservation Librarian, and the entire team at the Barbara Goldsmith Conservation Lab for their unwavering support and enthusiasm throughout this project. Thank you all very much!

Notes:

[1] A commonplace book is a centralized place for an individual to record information, whether it be their personal thoughts or quotes from outside literary sources. Friendship albums, by contrast, contain handwritten entries from the family, friends, or acquaintances of the owner (often female). Both forms of commonplacing sustained popularity in Europe and America throughout the 19th century. To learn more about this fascinating literary genre, see Jenifer Blouin, “Eternal Perspectives in Nineteenth-Century Friendship Albums,” The Hilltop Review, Vol. 9, Issue 1 (2016) and Victoria E. Burke, “Recent Studies in Commonplace Books,” English Literary Renaissance, Vol. 43, No. 1 (2013), 153-177.

[2] Much of what is known about Jane Harriet (also known in her family as Harriet) comes from the Blechynden papers in the British Library (Add. Mss. 45578-663). This large holding contains the diaries of her father, Richard (Add. Mss. 45581-653), and older brother, Arthur (Add. Mss. 45654-61). For a secondary account of the Blechynden household, see Peter Robb, Sentiment and Self: Richard Blechynden’s Calcutta Diaries, 1791-1822 (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2011).

[3] Michele Matteini, “Written on a Bodhi tree leaf,” Anthropology and Aesthetics, Vol. 75-76 (2021), 45-58. 

[4] The design of the double-sided mats is based on an instructional guide made available by the Library of Congress. “Double-Sided Mat,” Library of Congress, accessed 1 February 2023. 

[5] We chose not to use adhesives or traditional paper-hinging techniques to mount the leaf paintings for several reasons. As noted, the paintings are on fragile, non-paper-based supports that have an organic coating, which may be derived from plant gum. The leaf supports are thin, translucent, and highly vulnerable to breakage, so applying hinges directly with adhesive might permanently alter their appearance or risk further damage to the leaves over time, especially if they need to be removed from the housing in the future.

Photographs: Alexa Machnik

[hificrush]

Probably out of character (surprise I have never played the game I’m so sorry for being a fake fan) || I don’t have any good puns so take this

[nyunnyfox]

Me when I remember I’m and artist and I can do dumb stuff like this anytime || Anyways time to binge watch some hi fi rush game play / explanation videos so I can figure out how to go about this thing lol || Have a uhhh comic thumbnail of the cover page for a small comic I may or may not do who knows-

[bonniemcloughlin]

Check out some of my animated paintings in the MOCA LIghts Festival! Kicking off tonight (10/14) at 6pm, in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art L.I. 👩‍🎨💡 The village of Patchogue will be transformed into an immersive outdoor art experience, with lots of family-friendly activities happening all weekend! You can find some of my work in the NIGHT VISIONS projected gallery, and as part of the ART ON THE MARQUEE program. I'll have a cool animation on the performing arts theater marquee until New Year's Eve. Admission to these open-air projections is FREE so take a drive out east and enjoy!! Link in bio for more info 💖☀️ . . . #mocalights #patchoguearts #longislandartists #newyorkart #immersiveart #eastendartists #nyuart #nyualumni #lihsaalumni #idrawwith2hands #bonniemcloughlinstiegler #👩‍🎨 (at Patchogue, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVBT6mlvEZz/?utm_medium=tumblr

[tomioka-miki]

LIVEPAINT ABstudio at RockawayBeach,NY

[lisarachel]

Hanging out at my favorite bar @rarbarlic and painting with my glasses off using my fave traveling watercolor pallet from @caseformaking The lonely night seems pretty nice now👍 #artistlife #art #watercolor #painting #impressionism #light #moments #blind #artistresidency #nyuart (at New York, New York)

[sculpture-center]

WHAT’S ON: Alex Katz, Jane Wilson, Allan Kaprow, Al Held, Mimi Gross, John Cohen, Bob Thompson, Dan Flavin, Minoru Niizuma, Boris Lurie, Steven Schapiro, Aldo Tambellini, Norman Lewis, Tadaaki Kuwayama, Inventing Downtown: Artist-Run Galleries in New York City, 19-52 - 1965, January 10 - April 1, 2017. Grey Art Gallery, NYU, 100 Washington Square E, New York, NY 10003.

Alex Katz, Ada Ada, 1959. Oil on canvas, 49 x 50 inches (142 x 127 cm). Grey Art Gallery, New York University Art Collection. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Golden, 1963.13. Art © Alex Katz/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY. Image Courtesy the  artist and New York University. 

Dan Flavin, Apollinaire wounded (to Ward Jackson), 1959–1960. Crushed can, oil, and pencil on Masonite, and plaster on pine, 13 1/2 x 19 3/8 x 7/8 inches (34 x 48 x 2.5 cm). Collection of Stephen Flavin. © 2016 Stephen Flavin/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Flavin. 

Mimi Gross, Street Scene, 1958. Oil stick on paper, 11 x 13 7/8 in. Courtesy the artist. Photo: Jeffrey Sturges

www.sculpture-center.org

[photoartteach]

#signsofthetimes #signsofthetimes⏳ #signsofthetimesareverywhere #signsofthetimesareeverywhere #signsofthetimes◼️ #signsofthetimesseries @nyurealworld @nyuniversity @nyutisch @nyuart @nyustern @nyuskirball @nyustudentlife @tischdrama @nyugrey @nyusteinhardt @nyugradacting @nyugrey @nyucas @nyupreservation @nyupublishing @deutscheshausnyu @tischphoto @nyualumni #flyers #flyer #flyerdesign #flyersdesign #flyerdesigns #flyersと繋がりたい #clubflyer #flyertemplate #flyerdistribution #flyerart @joespub #johnfieldshow #overheardatjoes #smellyoldsocks #pickable @pickable #lauvconnections #tlwheatman (at New York University) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvN3TH_g0RR/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rxn70c8d2qte

[thibui]

Repost from @apa.institute - Join us this Thursday 3/28 as we celebrate Thi Bui's debut graphic novel, #TheBestWeCouldDo, an illustrated memoir of a refugee and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family. Bui will be in conversation with Professor Thuy Linh Tu of the NYU Dept. Of Social and Cultural Analysis @sca_nyu @nyuart. bit.ly/2nvIx61

[greyartgallerynyu]

In support of the @nyugrey, @mmothersbaugh and @nyuart professor Noel W. Anderson created a limited edition silkscreen: "1964—Monument to the Conquerors of Space"! Scroll through for progress shots from Noel's studio. We still have a few prints available for purchase at the museum and online! Link in bio. #MarkMothersbaugh #MyopiaGrey (at Grey Art Gallery)

[nyupreservation]

Preservation Week 2023

Virtual Presentation: Conservation of Balinese Shadow Puppets from the Mabou Mines Archives 

Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2023, 1:00 - 2:00 PM (EST)

Location: Virtual Event/Zoom 

Registration: https://nyu_preservation_week_2023.eventbrite.com

Image: a Balinese shadow puppet from the Mabou Mines Archive, NYU Special Collections.

Since last November, Conservation Center student Peiyuan Sun has been conducting research and conservation treatment on a group of Balinese shadow puppets from the Mabou Mines Archive (MSS.133). In this presentation, she will talk about the information that she has discovered regarding the history and manufacture of these materials and the ways in which she is actively working to make these items more accessible to future users.

Peiyuan Sun received her B.A. in Art History from NYU in 2018. She is in her final year at NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts, where she is a candidate for an M.A. in Art History and M.S. in Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Since fall 2022, Peiyuan has been working as an Andrew Mellon Fellow at the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation and Conservation Department for her curriculum internship under the supervision of Preventive Conservator Jessica Pace.

This event is presented in celebration of Preservation Week, an annual initiative of the American Library Association aimed at connecting our communities through events, activities, and resources that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections.

[hificrush]

Me when I get my hands on him (Affectionate) || Love you Chai <3 *Falls into a pit*

[nyunnyfox]

Posting this here bc I know more people will see it here lol || I tried my best :,)

[bonniemcloughlin]

Saturday morning cartoons 🔊 .. wait for it 👩‍🎨🤗 ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #bonniemcloughlinstiegler #idrawwith2hands #ambidextrousart ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #newyorkartists #illustrationtoday #watchmedraw #sketchbook #NYUart #ambidextrousartist #animatedpainting #movingpaintings #nftart #NYartists #inthesketchbook https://www.instagram.com/p/CLg87_nHJUv/?igshid=lk7zjd52sj5b

[lisarachel]

“Buffet” Oil on birch wood 7x5x1.5in #vine #plant #spaceswithin #positivenegativespace #art #oilpainting #artistresidency #nyuart #garden #blueberries from @kickstarter (at New York, New York)

[nyubybmcc]

Congrats to my schoolmate @clandestineham and a dear person. All the best. #nyugrad #nyu2018 #steinhardt #nyusteinhardt #steinhardt2018 #cctop #nyuart #violetpride #nyu (at Radio City Music Hall)