Rebacks (Cloth and Leather)
This is one of the most common types of damage to books is on the spine. The cloth or leather can break along the joint (where the cover opens) and eventually the material can completely fall off the spine and become lost. The major cause for this is that most people pull a book from the shelf by the top of the spine. This causes damage to the caps, endbands and joints.
A reback replaces any missing covering material and reattaches the spine to the book. The sewing and board attachment should be sound and are not disturbed. Depending on the book, either bookcloth or leather maybe used to match the original. Bookcloth and leather are both strong binding materials, but it is often hard to match the original bookcloth and leather is expensive and time consuming to work with. For this reason, some repairs are done with Japanese paper and/or cotton muslin instead. These materials can be dyed with acrylic paints and match the original almost perfectly. In either case, as much of the original which can be saved is reused for the conservation treatment.
Author:
Boltwood, Henry L. (Henry Leonidas), 1831-1906
Title:
English grammar, and how to teach it
Publisher:
Chicago, G. & C.W. Sherwood [1869]
Call Number:
PE1111 .B65 1869
Description:
211 p. 19 cm.
Permanent record:
The book was in fairly sound condition except for damage along the spine and joints. Not repairing this now would cause further damage as the book continued to be used.
The spine and joints have been repaired with new leather to match the original.
Author:
Van Waters, George
Title:
The poetical geography : designed to accompany outline maps or school atlases ; to which are added the rules of arithmetic in rhyme
Publisher:
Louisville ; Philadelphia : [s.l.], 1850.
Call Number:
G125 .V27 1850
Description:
80 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.
Permanent record:
Author:
Davies, Charles, 1798-1876
Title:
Elements of geometry and trigonometry from the works of A.M. Legendre : adapted to the course of mathematical instruction in the United States
Publisher:
New York : A.S. Barnes & Burr, 1862
Call Number:
QA529 .L44 1862
Description:
259, 134, 62 p. : ill. ; 20 cm.
Permanent record:
This book exhibits typical damage to a mid-19th century book. The leather is deteriorating along the joints, spine and corners.
This volume was repaired using dyed Japanese paper to replace the missing leather. The leather spine was saved to maintain the look of the original binding.
Author:
California. State Board of Education.
Title:
History of the United States: compiled under the direction of the State Board of Education
Publisher:
Sacremento : [s.n., 1888]
Call Number:
E178 .C24 1888
Description:
432 p. : ill., incl. front, maps, ports. ; 19 cm.
Permanent record:
Leather joints have deteriorated, but the cloth is still in fair condition.
The Japanese paper was dyed with acrylics to match the original color of the leather. While the conservator does not try to hide a repair, she does strive to make it blend with the original materials.
Author:
Gage, Alfred P. (Alfred Payson), 1836-1903
Title:
A text-book on the elements of physics : for high schools and academies
Publisher:
Boston : Ginn & Co., 1888
Call Number:
QC23 .G35 1888
Description:
x, 439, [6] p. : ill. ; 20cm.
Permanent record:
The spine on this book was completely missing, but otherwise was in sound condition.