Valeria KremserConservation Portfolio

Contents

Pamphlets

Contemporary Notebooks

Family Bible

Bound Periodicals

Contemporary Notebooks

18th Century Handwritten Journals

Oversized Portfolio

Soot Remediation

Pamphlets

Title: Charles L. Blockson Afro-American CollectionDate: 1793-1911Binding: Printed paper coverSewing: VariousText: Black ink on laid and wove paperSize: Various

CONDITION

Covers were missing pieces, discolored, soiled, and torn.

Leaves were moderately soiled and exhibit random tears and losses throughout.

Vol. .1 side sewing prevented full opening of the volume.

Vol. .5 leaves exhibited liquid stains at the head.

Vol. .5 original side-staples were missing from the volume.

Pamphlets

Pamphlets

TREATMENT

Objects were disbound, and then surface cleaned using vulcanized rubber sponges, grated and solid vinyl eraser.

Vol. .5 was washed in baths of calcium-enriched deionized water.

Leaves mended and guarded with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste.

Covers mended with toned Japanese paper and wheat starch paste.

Pages sewn through the original sewing stations with unbleached linen thread.

Vol. .1 cover attached with a tube of toned Japanese paper.

Pamphlets were each placed in custom 4-flap 20 pt. wrapper.

Tile: B. Springsteen NotebooksPlace, Date: New Jersey, 1970-2005Binding: Spiral bound notebooks and three ring binderSewing: Wire spiral through punched holesText: Ink/graphite/marker on lined wove paperSize: Various

CONDITION

Covers and pages were variously worn from use.

Some covers were missing while others were partially torn away.

The paper was bright and remained flexible.

Some leaves were partially or fully detached from the spiral ring.

Many volumes had loose inserts in random locations.

The ink and graphite text was stable.

Contemporary Notebooks

Contemporary Notebooks

Rust was removed asnecessary from spiralswith a fine grade steelwool. This allowed forthe pages to turnmore smoothly.

Contemporary Notebooks

A hollow wedge wascreated to keep thepages in the binderfrom curling. A 20ptinsert was placed ontop of the pages to keepthem evenly andlightly compressed.

Contemporary Notebooks

TREATMENT

Covers and leaves surface cleaned with vulcanized rubber sponges and solid vinyl eraser.

Leaves mended with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste or heat set tissue were necessary.

Bends in covers reinforced with 20 pt. inserts.

Covers mended with acrylic-toned mulberry paper.

Loose articles unfolded as possible and kept in their original locations.

Cover extensions created for some volumes to protect articles that protruded from the text block.

Rust removed from spirals as necessary with a fine grade steel wool and then coated with an acrylic polymer/wax emulsion (SC6000) and hydroxypropyl cellulose in ethanol.

Spirals smoothed and evened out.

Vol. .18 leaves flattened under weights, because of curling.

Vol. .4 back cover replaced with a 20 pt. removable cover.

Treated volumes housed in custom-fit clamshell boxs with spacers to protect spirals from being crushed.

Family Bible

Title: BiblePlace, Date: New York, 1846Binding: Full grained leather, gold stampedSewing: Through the fold on recessed cordsText: Printing ink on wove paper, edge giltSize: Approx. 13 x 10 x 4

CONDITION

Cover was abraded and severely worn.

Spine was pulling away and had multiple tears.

End bands were loose and pulling away from the spine.

Front board was detached and the back board was loose.

Flyleaves were severely soiled and discolored toward the center and exhibited losses and tears at the edges.

The spine lining of the text block was too weak to support the weight.

Family Bible

Family Bible

TREATMENT

Cover and leaves surface cleaned with vulcanized rubber sponges and solid vinyl eraser.

Cover consolidated with an acrylic polymer/wax emulsion (SC6000) and hydroxypropyl cellulose in ethanol.

Major tears mended throughout the text with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste.

Loose leaves hinged to the text block with Japanese paper.

Spine lining removed and the spine was re-lined with layers of mulberry paper, cloth, and western paper, adhered with a mixture of wheat starch paste and polyvinyl acetate.

Original end bands secured.

Front board reattached with a cloth joint.

Interior hinges mended with toned Japanese paper and wheat starch paste.

Spine piece and board edges mended with acrylic-toned paper.

Cover and cover mends were finished with an acrylic polymer/wax emulsion (SC6000) and hydroxypropyl cellulose in ethanol.

Bound Periodicals

Title: The Sporting Magazine Place, Date: London, 1793-1828 Binding: Half leather with decorated paper sides (various) Sewing: Bound through the fold with recessed cords Text: Printing ink letterpress on laid and wove paper Size: Approx. 8” x 5” x 2” each

CONDITION

Moderate heavy abrasions to the marbled paper sides with losses at the board edges.

Leather was desiccated and worn with some loss to endcaps, spines and corners.

Joints were split.

Some boards were detached or loose.

Sewing was stable.

Leaves were moderately soiled and discolored.

There were random tears and loose plates.

Some volumes exhibited liquid staining.

Bound Periodicals

Bound Periodicals

TREATMENT

Covers and leaves surface cleaned with vulcanized rubber sponges and solid vinyl eraser.

Leather consolidated with an acrylic polymer/wax emulsion (SC6000) and hydroxypropyl cellulose in ethanol.

Leaves mended with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste..

Loose leaves were tipped in as necessary.

Detached boards were tacketed on with unbleached linen thread.

Exposed spines were lined on volumes .1-.6.

Vol. .1-.6 were rebacked with new leather toned to match and the original or replica labels were attached.

Vol. .1-.6 were gold tooled with the year of the volume.

Covers were mended with acrylic-toned mulberry paper.

Interior joints were mended with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste as needed.

Leather was finished with an acrylic polymer/wax emulsion (SC6000) and hydroxypropyl cellulose in ethanol.

18th Century Handwritten Journals

Title: Henry Melchior Muhlenberg’s JournalsDate: 1742-1777 Binding: Quarter leather & full leatherSewing: On cords & tapes Text: Iron gall ink on laid paper Size: Various

CONDITION

Covers were detached abraded and severely worn.

Sewing was broken.

Leaves were heavily soiled, brittle and yellowed.

Many leaves were broken off about 1/2 inch the from the gutter.

Iron gall ink text is cracked and severely laced.

Some glassine and pressure sensitive tape throughout the books.

Red labels marked different of sections in some of the books.

18th Century Handwritten Journals

18th Century Handwritten Journals

All the journals were heavily silked. The silking hadmade the pages brittle and yellow.

18th Century Handwritten Journals

18th Century Handwritten Journals

Unbleached linenthread was tonedto match theoriginal end bandsand new end bandswere sewn.

The original cover was repairedwith toned Japanese paper andtouched up with acrylic paints.

A new spine wascreated with apiece of dyedleather. After beingattached the spinewas modeled withacrylic paints tomatch the originalcover.

18th Century Handwritten JournalsTREATMENT

Books disbound, coallated and then surface cleaned using vulcanized rubber sponges, grated and solid vinyl eraser.

Inks tested for solubility.

Pressure sensitive tapes removed.

Leaves pretreated with ethanol and then washed in calcium enriched water for 5-7 baths, silking was removed.

After drying, the leaves were treated with ethanol and placed in a calcium-phytate bath, then a calcium bicarbonate bath.

Leaves guarded and mended using toned Japanese paper and wheat starch paste,

Signatures humidified and flattened between blotters under moderate weight.

Text blocks were rebound with unbleached linen thread on to tapes (1., .5) and raised cords (.4).

Spines were lined with layers of mulberry paper, cloth, and western paper, adhered with a mixture of wheat starch paste and polyvinyl acetate.

Vol. .1 covered in a limp paper binding with 20 pt. board covers.

Vol. .4 received new hand sewn end bands, and was covered using the original cover that was consolidated and repaired.

Vol. .5 was covered in a new cotton library cloth case.

Oversized Portfolio

Title: The Atlantic Neptune (Volume II)Place, Date: London, 1777Binding : Cloth caseSewing: On tapesText: Engravings and etchings on laid paperSize: Various, most single leaves are 31" x 22 1/4"

CONDITION

Half cloth bindings were in very poor condition.

Leaves were detached, torn, and discolored.

TREATMENT

Objects were surface cleaned, washed, and mended.

Each text leaf and map was placed in a polyester L-sleeve.

Objects were distributed evenly among 5 cloth portfolios.

The treatment of the leaves was completed by staff from thepaper section at CCAHA. The portfolios were designed andbuilt by a team of two led by myself.

Oversized Portfolio

Ribbon ties,were woventhrough thecover to ensurethey weresecure andwould not pullout.

Soot Remediation

Title: Approximately 1,200 soot-affected rare booksDate: Various Binding: VariousSewing: Various Text: Various Size: Various

CONDITION

Due to a fire, about 100 linear feet of books were affected by soot.

Objects smelled of smoke.

The covers and heads of the volumes are most affected, though some soot has traveled to the inside of select volumes.

TREATMENT

Objects surface cleaned with rubber sponges and vinyl eraser.

Some volumes were fanned to help reduce the smell of smoke.

Onsite treatment was completed by a team of three people inone week. Sue Bing from CCAHA lead the team withassistance from myself and private Conservator NancyNitzberg.

Soot Remediation