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Back to Rare Books Icones Animalium: Images from Renaissance scienceThe Conservation treatment
Due to inherent weakness in the binding structure, and as the binding was not original, the paper conservator, in conjunction with the Research Library staff, made the decision to pull the volume down, treat the text block and rebind. The volume has been collated, the covers and tight back leather spine detached, acidic animal glue and residues removed from text block spine, sections separated, remnant stitching threads removed, text papers washed and deacidified (with 50% saturated calcium hydroxide) and sized with methyl cellulose, spine folds guarded and repairs effected using various weights of Japanese tissues and starch paste. The text block has been recollated to its original sectional format and flattened. The conservation methodology uses archival and chemically stable materials, with all work reversible and completely documented. While the volume is in this pulled down stage, the opportunity has been taken to display individual pages, before the reassembly and rebinding of the sections.
The conservation work has been carried out by staff from the Museum's Materials Conservation Division, Heather McPherson, paper conservator, and Michael Kelly, conservator.
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Although housed in the Rare Book Collection, and used only under supervision, over the past 70 years Icones has been a heavily used reference tool and had suffered considerable damage to its binding and text block. The spine had split, the book was in two parts and there was ongoing damage to the pages adjacent to the split. The binding was not original and the Research Library requested comprehensive conservation treatment of the book, because of its rare value and its scientific value to Museum staff and other Library clients.
Further research is required before continuing treatment will be effected in order to ensure the rebinding accords as closely as possible to its likely original format. At this stage it is envisaged that future treatment will comprise hand stitching on a traditional sewing frame using irish linen raised cords, attachment of new (alkaline buffered) boards which will be laced through using the raised cords and covering with an historically appropriate material (e.g. alum tawed pig skin). These methods, apart from their historical integrity, will ensure a flexible, robust and chemically sound structure for the volume.
