Full Treatments
Full treatments are a combination of all of the other treatments. Books needing a full treatment will generally be disbound; the sewing will be removed; the pages surface cleaned and washed; any torn pages or signatures will be mended; the book will be resewn; and then it will be rebound using the original cover or a new cover will be made. This is a time consuming process and can take many days from start to finish when drying time is taken into account.
Before pictures showing damage to binding, especially at the spine and corners.
The binding after conservation work. The book was disbound, resewn and a new spine was made with dyed Japanese paper.
Many of the books in this collection have charming doodles such as this one on the inside of the front cover.
During treatment, the pages were washed, deacidified and resized. The only visible difference after treatment is a slight “brightening” of the paper. There are no drastic changes to the look of the original.
Mitchell, S. Augustus (Samuel Augustus), 1792-1868
Mitchell's primary geography : an easy introduction to the study of geography
Philadelphia : Cowperthwait, Desilver, & Butler, 1854
3rd rev. ed.
Description: 176 p. : ill., maps (some col.) ; 17 cm.
Permanent record link: http://catalog.lib.msu.edu/record=b3363884~S39a
Before photos showing the spine and front cover. The cover was in fairly good condition, but was slightly worn.
Murray, Lindley, 1745-1826
The English reader : or, pieces in prose and poetry, selected from the best writers
Cooperstown : Printed and sold by H. and E. Phinney, 1837
Description: 252 p. ; 15 cm.
Permanent record link: http://catalog.lib.msu.edu/record=b3374737~S39a
Photos of the textblock, showing the damage to the textblock, including the broken sewing in the middle of the book.
The textblock was disbound, washed and deacidified and tears were mended before it was resewn and placed back into the original covers.
The book looks little changed from the exterior with just small repairs to the headcaps and corners.
Before photos of the spine and front cover.
Before photo showing the edge of the textblock. Note that the edges of the pages are very jagged, indicating that the sewing is probably loose or broken.
After photos of the spine and front cover with repairs to the headcaps and joints. Very little has been done to alter the appearance of the book.
After photo of the textblock. The loose and torn pages have been mended and the entire textblock was washed, resized and deacidified before it was resewn. Note that the pages are much more evenly aligned now that it has been sewn.
Another example of the doodles, scribbles and holographs found in many of these school books.
Willetts, Jacob, 1785-1860
The scholar's arithmetic : designed for the use of schools in the United States
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. : P. Potter, 1822
4th ed.
Description: 191 p. ; 18 cm.
Permanent record link: http://catalog.lib.msu.edu/record=b3402419~S39a