Conservation & Repair – Preserving Your Valuables with Expertise

From the smallest paper repair to large-scale conservation projects, our skilled staff are here to help preserve your most cherished items. We specialize in conserving a wide range of materials, including leather, books, vellum, maps, pamphlets, and other delicate documents.

What We Offer:

• Comprehensive conservation and repair for various items

• Detailed documentation of all work completed, with a copy provided to you for future reference

• Bespoke storage boxes and slipcases designed to protect and prevent further damage to your restored items

All of our conservation work is carried out to archival standards, and we only use archival-grade materials in our processes, ensuring the long-term preservation of your valuable collections.

16th Century Book Restoration – Preserving a Piece of History

We were entrusted with a series of 16th-century handwritten books from a Special Collections library that required extensive repair and restoration.

The Challenges:

• The books were originally bound in a fast-back style, and the leather had become acidic, contributing to the deterioration of the materials.

• The paper had become extremely brittle at the bound edge, making it impossible to open the pages without causing further damage.

Our Approach:
We carefully treated the leather to neutralise the acidity, and the paper was expertly reinforced to restore its integrity while maintaining its historical character. Each volume was restored with attention to detail, allowing the pages to be opened safely once again, preserving the delicate handwriting and valuable content.

The restoration of these rare, fragile books was carried out to archival standards, ensuring their continued preservation for future generations.

The Process – Expert Care and Attention to Detail

Our restoration process began by hand numbering each page to ensure proper collation. The books were carefully stripped down, preparing them to be reassembled into sections.

Step-by-Step Restoration:

1. Rejoining Pages: The pages were re-joined into 8-page sections (8pp) as per the original binding style, using hand-made Japanese tissue and wheat starch paste. This method allows the pages to be securely folded and ready for the next phase.

2. Hand Sewing: The folded sections were hand-sewn onto 4 hemp cords, providing a strong and flexible binding structure.

3. Rounding and Jointing: The books were then rounded and jointed, a technique that ensures the spine retains its shape and durability.

4. Spine Reinforcement: The spine was lined with Japanese tissue, and we used an Oxford hollow method along with reversible PVA to ensure flexibility while maintaining the integrity of the original structure.

This meticulous approach ensures that the books are not only restored to a functional state but also preserved with the highest level of craftsmanship for future use.

The Finished Article – A Restored Masterpiece

Once the structural repairs were complete, the books were re-backed in calfskin, with 5 raised bands and tooling to match the original binding style. We also added 2 leather title pieces to replicate the design of the original binding, ensuring the books retained their historical character.

The result is a set of books that can now be opened and enjoyed once again, preserved for many more years to come.