an introduction to archival book restoration

© Vaibhav chauhan, Sumeet kumar

An Introduction to archival/rare book repair/restoration


Title:

Author:

No. of Pages:

Rare (Yes / No):

Signed (Yes / No):

Period:

1. Detailed documentation ( Photo/ Text )

2. Next step involves numbering of the pages and the book needs to be unbounded and

therefore sewing should be opened with utmost care.

3. Dry cleaning with non staining erasers and soft Japanese brushes

4. Testing of the printing of the book for its solubility in water, If the ink is soluble, then

the pages should be de-acidified with non aqueous otherwise use aqueous method for

de-acidification.

5. The de-acidification by Barium Hydroxide / Calcium hydroxide (aqueous).



6. After de-acidification, sizing is required and the pages should be laminated with

Japanese tissue paper of minimum thickness using starch paste / methyl cellulose with the

help of soft Japanese brushes.

7. Once the lamination is done, the pages should be dried under felt to avoid folds or

creases and finally and should be pressed / fully straightened under binder press by

using TST sheets.

8. Now the pages are to be arranged according to the numbering and required to be sewn

including new cover pages which are non acidic in nature with the help conservation /

non acidic threads using binder’s table.



9. The sewn book needs to be pasted with Churt paper at the spine using vegetable glue.

10. Now the new cover should be made using mount boards, bukhram and marble paper



11. Finally the book needs to be fixed in the cover

End result

Copyright: The images are copyrighted but free for academic use with proper credit to the

authors. No commercial use is permitted without the permission of the authors

Reference: Authors are practicing archival conservators with a experience of more than 8 years.

The images are from a project undertaken by the authors for Karnataka State Archives (2008 -

2010).



We give advice on all matters related to:

• Storage

• Handling and display of archival material

• Art on paper

We are responsible for the care of all paper-based materials, including books, maps,

manuscripts, posters etc. Our conservation studio is a specialized one that works on paper, its

allied materials and paintings. Our studio works principally for individual collections, local

authorities, public sector and Government organizations. We provide advice on Preventive as

well as Curative Conservation. We favor a collaborative approach to conservation projects,

whenever required, through conservation of objects, workshops, presentations, and exhibitions

using well-trained and experienced staff. Treatments range from basic stabilization to complete

restoration.

For more information contact:

Vaibhav Chauhan,

[email protected]

Sumeet Kumar

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

an introduction to archival book restoration

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