Conservation - Matteucci

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Matteucci Atlas
Conservation

Completed during a six month internship at the MIT Library's Wunsch Conservation Lab.

This book seemed to have been bound specifically to protect two fold-out illustrations from a larger work. Both plates (containing engravings of scientific apparatus) were discolored, bound with gummed tape and had sustained minor tears and paper losses. The two plates were surface cleaned, washed, deacidified and resized, and the tears and losses were repaired using dyed Japanese tissue and wheat starch paste.
The book's endsheets were in particularly bad condition, being extremely brittle, and it was decided to replace them with a similarly colored, archival paper.

The spine of the case was re-lined with dyed okawara paper, the text block re-sewn onto okawara paper hinges, and finally the text block was re-hinged into the case, using a mix of PVA glue and methyl cellulose.

The first three images (below) were taken before treatment. The thin, embrittled endsheets, and the gummed tape which was used to hinge the plates into the case can be clearly seen.

PLATE ONE -

PLATE ONE - Filled Paper Loss, Before and After

A triangular loss on the lower half of the fore edge was filled in (after washing and resizing) using two layers of japanese tissue. A lightweight, dyed tissue was used on the front of the plate, to disguise the heavier, white okawara tissue, which is visible on the back of the plate.

PLATE TWO - Before and After

Treatment: Disbound, surface cleaned, two baths in deionized water (to reduce discoloration), two deacidification baths (ammonium hydroxide, calcium bicarbonate), resized with .04% methyl cellulose, minor tears at the fore edge repaired with Japanese tissue.