#luda_themellon_intern

[nyupreservation]

Ancient to Industrial: Papyri Conservation to Board Slotting.

The past twelve months have come and gone so quickly. For my last two months at the Barbara Goldsmith Book & Paper Conservation Lab of NYU Libraries, I learned a new technique for board reattachment, board slotting, and had the opportunity to treat a papyrus fragment.

The board slotting technique is a method for attaching loose boards to a textblock. This method of board reattachment is used in libraries where large numbers of books need to be treated, providing an assembly line style of treatment. I used the lab’s Jeff Peachey board slotting machine. (To learn more please visit: jeffpeachey.com). Slots were cut into each board on an angle, which facilitates the opening of the board. I constructed a hinge of two sheets of Sekishu paper adhered with PVA and toned with acrylics, which I then inserted into the slots of the boards. In some treatments, if the end caps were missing, I made them off the book from toned Japanese paper laminate and cord.

Top: During Treatment.

Top: After assembly of the new reback material.

My last treatment was of a papyrus fragment, under the supervision of the Special Collections Conservator Lou Di Gennaro. [To learn more about the papyri project please visit the blog post by Project Conservator Claire Kenny]

Lou introduced me to papyrus characteristics treatment methodologies. My treatment of the papyrus included gentle humidification, reduction of surface soiling, and straightening folded flaps of papyri fibers. I performed minor tear mending and consolidated delaminated layers of the papyrus to reduce the risk of further damage. Treating this fragment made me realize that papyrus is much more resilient than its delicate appearance suggests.

Top: Treating papyrus under the microscope.

Top: After humidification surface dirt absorbed into the dampened blotter.

Top: Detail of the papyri fragment before fiber straightening in transmitted light. 

Top: Detail of the papyri fragment after fiber straightening in transmitted light.

I can’t believe how much I have learned during my time at NYU. My experience has been very fulfilling, and I appreciate the time and attention I receive from the Special Collections Conservators Lou Di Gennaro, Dawn Mankowski, Preventive Conservator Jessica Pace, and Project Conservators Alex Bero and Claire Kenny. The Conservation Librarian, Laura McCann, has been a great mentor who ensured I received a holistic experience as I enter the Libraries and Archives Conservation profession.

-Post by Lyudmyla Bua, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow for Master of Arts and Certificate of Advanced Study in Libraries and Archives Conservation at Buffalo State, SUNY.

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[nyupreservation]

Three Similar Treatments, Three Different Approaches

My time at the Conservation Department of NYU Libraries is drawing to an end, with only two months left.  Since my chief interest is in rare book collections, I will focus on rare book treatments for my final block under the supervision of Anne Hillam and Dawn Mankowski. So far, I have worked on three leather books, whose treatments I approached from different angles. The goal of these treatments was to restore the original function of the books. The condition concerns presented either a front board detachment and/or a reback. Before beginning treatment, we discussed what options we had and which were best suited for the books in question, as well as the challenges they posed.

Book one is a full tree-calf leather binding with a tight joint, tight back construction. The board to text block attachment is facilitated by two cords. The tight back construction and its shoulder, while small, still allowed for a pleated paper hinge board reattachment. The pleated hinge preserves the pivoting action of its boards, especially since it was a tight back. This treatment was appropriate for this book because it also allowed us to avoid lifting the spine leather, which could lead to more damage.

Book two is bound in sprinkled dark brown full calf-skin, blind tooled with double fillet roll border, frame, and panel decoration. Its spine piece is missing, revealing five false cord bands, which suggest a tight back construction. We thought that this book was a great candidate for a full reback with a cast composite. Using the cast composite on a tight back with false cords proved to be challenging. The composite material does not stretch like leather, which made it difficult to mold over the false cords. The turn-ins were difficult to complete at the head and tail since the new material wrinkled easily, making it difficult to control. In the future, this treatment could be adjusted by using different adhesives with a longer drying time, as well as careful consideration on the type of binding it is used.

Book three is bound in half brown sheep-skin and purple Moiré cloth. The spine piece is a hollow back made with printer’s waste and false bands. The leather corners and the leather spine edges of the boards are blind stamped with a double fillet roll. The goal of this treatment was to keep as much of the original material as possible and the treatment method used was more traditional. I re-backed the book using dyed leather to match the original and re-used the original printed waste spine liner in the new hollow, retaining the original spine lining.

From these treatments, I learned that the construction of the binding greatly informed the type of treatment it receives. The structural elements that influenced my treatments include the condition of the covering material, tight back versus hollow construction, depth of the shoulder, and construction of the spine as smooth or on raised cords. Lastly, the materials used in treatments will not only have to match the original material aesthetically, but also complement the structural and mechanical nature of the book. This includes flexibility of the material and its durability.

What challenges in rare book conservation will come up next?

-Post by Lyudmyla Bua, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow for Master of Arts and Certificate of Advanced Study in Libraries and Archives Conservation at Buffalo State, SUNY.

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[nyupreservation]

University Archives Flat File Rehousing Project:  A Summary

Due to the renovation of the northeast corner of the University Archives on the 10th floor of the Bobst Library, oversized collection material needed to be safely relocated from the NYU Archives to the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives.

The project team was led by Preventive Conservator Jessica Pace, and consisted of Special Collections Conservator Dawn Mankowski and graduate Mellon Fellow Lyudmyla Bua. Jessica ensured that the project stayed on schedule over a four-day period, during the week of February 13th, 2017, when three units of flat files were moved to the Tamiment Collection.  

The project focused on efficiently mitigating the improper storage conditions of the oversized paper-based materials to allow for safe transferring. Six flat files contained large architectural reproductions, posters and certificates. Many materials had no housing, while others were housed in folders or drawers that were too small for them, causing tearing and crushing of the material, as illustrated in the photos above. Three of the six flat file drawers were broken, and/or showed signs of rust formation, compromising the material held inside. These flat file units were discarded and the contents moved to the new location in Tamiment. 

Preparation of the rehousing supplies and prior assessment of the collections’ materials ensured an efficient workflow once the project was underway. First, all loose collection materials inside the broken flat files were housed in archival folders and relocated into appropriately sized enclosures. These were placed either in boxes or moved to flat files at the Tamiment Archives, as shown in the photos above. Next, the materials in the rest of the flat files were rehoused into folders for safe transfer and handling during the move. The collection materials were moved out of each flat file the day before. The empty flat files were then moved using large carts, as illustrated in the photos below. The location information of the collection material was diligently documented to ensure the ease of future access by library’s staff and patrons.

The successful outcome of this project was due to collaboration and communication between departments. Fragile and brittle papers were interleaved as a temporary measure to assist in the future handling of the objects. This remediation project ensured the materials can be safely used by the staff and patrons of the library, while the renovation is underway.

Future work is recommended to remediate the issues encountered during this project. Some items in the collection exhibited more serious condition issues such as large tears, creasing, crumpling of the paper, and brittleness, as well as improper housing that could not be easily corrected during the rehousing project. Due to the limited time allotted to complete this project, larger folders could not be procured in time for this project. Oversize materials that were too large or too thick for their current flat files, or too small for their folders, should be rehoused into appropriately-sized flat files after the Special Collections renovation. Additionally, reproductive processes that are not compatible with each other, such as blueprints (cyanotypes) and diazotypes, should be rehoused in separate folders in the near future.

-Post by Lyudmyla Bua, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow for Master of Arts and Certificate of Advanced Study in Libraries and Archives Conservation at Buffalo State, SUNY.

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