Book Restoration & Conservation at
Praxis Bookbindery

For a thousand years the book has remained unchanged in its appearance and basic structure. Materials and techniques have evolved, but the one thing that has remained is the method of access. The hands. Books have been built by our hands, cradled in our hands and when necessary, restored by our hands. The touch draws us into a book along with the words.

At Praxis Bookbindery, hands, experienced by years of training, provide the necessary care to books and documents in need of restoration or conservation.

Books and documents, received at Praxis are carefully inspected, the condition described and the options for restoration or conservation are thoroughly discussed with the client. A course of treatment can then be chosen and implemented. Using high-quality, archival materials and a variety of possible treatments the item can be conserved [chemically and physically stabilized and brought back to a condition allowing safe handling], or it can be restored [stabilizing the book as with conservation, while paying particular attention to the importance of restoring the original appearance of the book].

A typical treatment at Praxis Bookbindery might include disbinding the book, dry cleaning the paper with erasure material and washing the paper. During washing, the paper may be buffered with a solution of calcium hydroxide. Washing can remove most of the dirt and byproducts of past degradation. The calcium will chemically bond with the paper fibers to create an alkaline reserve as a buffer. This retards future degradation of the paper fibers. If the paper is not a good candidate for washing, it can still be buffered with one of several non-aqueous sprays. Once the paper has been dried, any tears or losses can be mended using rice starch and a variety of Japanese and Western papers.

After mending, the pages are lightly pressed and the book is resewn using linen thread and cords or tapes of linen or ramie. When the text block has been reassembled and the spine reinforced, work on the covers can begin.

Whether cloth, paper, parchment or leather, new and stronger material can be married to the original, older material to strengthen the book. This material may be dyed or painted to match the original so the repairs will be less noticeable. Missing tooling can also be recreated where appropriate. For greater protection, a custom enclosure can be built to house the book or document in an environment that will keep it safe from the dangers of ultraviolet light and dust.

Pictured above is a cloth binding before and after restoration. When the covers have deteriorated beyond repair, it is possible to create a new binding based on the original (as in the leather bindings pictured below).

Please call Peter Geraty
at 413 527-7275.

Phone discussions work best for your questions and answers.

Or write or visit: One Cottage Street, #18, Easthampton, MA 01027.

Or email pgeraty@praxisbindery.com