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Posted by: Bobbi Hinton
Scientific analysis of an unusual image of the face of Christ in a late 15th C German devotional manuscript has revealed critical and surprising information about its current condition, its original making, and its meaning.
Posted in: Heritage Science, Pigments, Preservation, Rare Books and Special Collections
Posted by: Samantha Schireson
Claire Dekle, Senior Book Conservator, analyzes an early printing of the influential “Join, or Die” cartoon printed in 1754.
Posted in: Conservation, Preservation, Rare Books and Special Collections
Posted by: Samantha Schireson
John Bertonaschi, Senior Rare Book Conservator, details his efforts in acquiring raw materials to rebind a medieval manuscript in hardwood
Posted in: Conservation, Preservation, Rare Books and Special Collections
Posted by: Samantha Schireson
Liz Peirce, Objects Conservator, describes her experience conserving a rare example of the Great Seal of the Realm and the attached treaty between Great Britain and Cuba.
Posted in: Conservation, Preservation, Rare Books and Special Collections
Posted by: Tana Villafana
Every year the Preservation Directorate of the Library of Congress participates in American Library Association’s Preservation Week. This annual celebration highlights preservation efforts in libraries, archives, museums, historical societies and collecting institutions in communities all across the country. Fenella France, Chief of the Library’s Preservation Research and Testing Division (PRTD), started out Preservation Week with a heritage scientific introduction to the world of fragments.
Posted in: Conservation, Heritage Science, Preservation, Preservation Week, Rare Books and Special Collections
Posted by: Samantha Schireson
This post, A Remarkable Collection of Books: The Yudin Collection at the Library of Congress, details a successful project partnership between the Rare Books and Special Collections Division and the Conservation Division here at the Library.
Posted in: Preservation, Rare Books and Special Collections
Posted by: Samantha Schireson
Prior to the rise of printing, medieval libraries were filled with handwritten, manuscript books and documents. Many of those items no longer exist in their original form; some were thrown away when their contents became outdated or no longer useful, others were discarded and replaced with printed books. But some were taken apart, and their covers and pages were repurposed. Some of these pages, which are called fragments, can be found in the collections of The Library of Congress. This post is about a project to conserve these fragments.
Posted in: Conservation, Preservation, Rare Books and Special Collections
Posted by: Samantha Schireson
This post examines the work of nineteenth century book stamp engraver, John Feely. During the latter half of the 19th century, book publishers in Britain and the United States began to hire artists to design book covers. Advances in technology allowed for more affordable manufacturing of books and book cloth, so decorative bindings became more prevalent in the commercial market. Many examples of Feely's highly stylized engraved book covers can be found in the General Collection at the Library of Congress.
Posted in: Collections Management, Preservation, Rare Books and Special Collections