Collection Care blog

When IOR/F/4/1767 was added to the British Library Qatar Foundation Programme (BLQFP) digitisation workflow, it immediately aroused curiosity. 

The volume itself is large, heavy, and fascinating. Its sheer weight, combined with the multiple areas of damage, made it difficult to handle properly. At first, I found myself puzzled—unsure of how to organise my workspace or where to begin the condition assessment. As a result, the book sat for a few days in the studio, waiting for me to gather my thoughts and decide how best to proceed. 

But IOR/F/4/1767 is no ordinary item. It's a piece of history that sparks the imagination. It's more than just a document to be conserved, catalogued, and digitised.

Img. 1: IOR/F/4/1767

Looking at this volume, I don’t just see a book—I see an ancient grimoire, filled with secrets. I see the wear and tear of time, the handiwork of a bookbinder who, long ago, had to find a way to fit a vast collection of loose documents into one single volume. I see a binding that was designed to hold pages that would be opened repeatedly, and I can imagine the last reader who, upon opening it one last time, must have hoped the binding would hold together just a little longer. 

As I gaze at this book, I am transported into a world of both practicality and wonder—a reminder that even seemingly mundane objects have fascinating stories to tell. And not to lose this, I requested a 3D model of it. 

At the British Library, we place great value on the unique features we uncover during our work, and we aim to preserve these qualities while ensuring the item’s longevity. 

IOR/F/4/1767 is heavily damaged: the spine cover is detached, and the once functional springback mechanism that allowed the book to lie flat when open has broken. The boards no longer provide adequate protection for the text. 

This damage, however, presents an opportunity to document the construction of the book in detail. I can see the sewing threads traveling up and down through the sections, creating a distinctive pattern on the spine. This is where a broken binding can be a blessing—it allows me to record a precise description of the sewing pattern and the board attachment system. 

Part of my work in this digitisation project is to explore various treatment options, considering both the physical condition of the book and the conservation for digitisation guidelines. The challenge was to complete the work within five hours—while still ensuring that the item would be safe for handling and its information accessible. 

After gathering detailed information about the volume, including photographs and a thorough description, I considered three possible treatment approaches.  

• Bespoke Box: Place the book in a custom box as it is, with limited access in the reading rooms due to its fragile condition. This option would make the book unsuitable for digitisation. 
• Partial Disbinding: Partially disbind the book by removing the spine, boards, and endleaves, and then cutting the sewing to separate the text-block into smaller sections. This would allow the item to be digitised as a series of booklets. 
• Full Disbinding: Completely disbind the book—removing the spine, boards, endleaves, and sewing. In this case, the book would be digitised as a loose-leaf file. 

These options were evaluated through a risk assessment, where I weighed the pros and cons of each.  

After discussing with my colleagues—curators, imaging technicians, and other conservators—I ultimately decided on the partial disbinding treatment. 

The process of digitising IOR/F/4/1767 was both an ethical and a personal experience. The 3D model created is an attempt to capture my initial impressions of working with this fascinating book. Digitisation cannot do full justice to its impressive dimensions, its old archive scent, or its 15 kilograms of dusty paper, cloth, and boards, all of which must be left to your imagination. 

This is just one of many curious items hiding in the British Library’s stacks. Each book, like IOR/F/4/1767, holds its own story—waiting for someone to unlock them.

This article explores Moda Farfour’s student placement at the BLQFP’s conservation studio. It highlights her work on a specific manuscript and provides an overview of her contributions and experiences throughout the placement.

In August 2024, I joined the British Library Qatar Foundation Partnership (BLQFP) for a student placement as part of my conservation course at City & Guilds of London Art School. I am specialising in book & paper conservation, and I am particularly interested in conserving Islamic and Arabic manuscripts and understanding their unique structures and materials. I chose this placement due to its focus on a distinguished collection of scientific and Arabic manuscripts. During my three weeks with the Conservation team, I gained invaluable insights into the intricacies of the digitisation programme and deepened my understanding of conservation techniques within this context.

The BLQFP project seeks to create a comprehensive digital library that is accessible to audiences worldwide, showcasing a carefully curated collection that highlights the history of the Gulf region and Arabic science. This collection encompasses a wide range of materials, such as manuscripts, maps, archival documents, and photographs. As conservators, our primary responsibility is to treat and stabilise these objects, ensuring they are legible and safe for handling during the digitisation process.

During my time at the BLQFP conservation studio, I had the privilege of working on several scientific manuscripts, each presenting unique challenges. I also had the opportunity to engage with other team members on this project, which helped me gain a deeper appreciation for the workflow and processes involved in creating digitised content for the Qatar Digital Library.

A key focus of my placement was assessing and documenting an objects condition to enable the item to be safely digitised. Navigating time estimates and strict project guidelines in order to meet the projects objectives was both challenging and highly rewarding. Below is an example of a project I worked on during my placement.

Treatment of ADD MS 7490

Image 1: ADD MS 7490 right board of the manuscript, bound in full red leather featuring three blind stamped medallions.

Working on this scientific manuscript was such a treat; on initial inspection, the binding was in overall good condition (Image 1), the textblock, on the other hand, had quite a few issues that needed to be addressed before it could progress to the imaging team. Before beginning any treatments, a full condition assessment was conducted, accompanied by thorough photo documentation.

The binding is in good condition, with minor surface damage to the leather and no structural damage. There are losses, part of the tail-edge tab covering the endband is missing, along with the endband. The textblock is in overall fair condition, with occasional stains, tears, paper losses, ink stains\smudges, surface dirt and edge damage along the paper edges. Some of the gatherings include loose centre-folds.

I began the treatment process with surface cleaning. This crucial step not only helps enhance the quality of the digital images but is also essential prior to introducing any moisture to the paper in the next phase of treatment. If not removed beforehand, moisture can cause dirt to become irreversibly embedded in the paper fibres. Using a chemical (smoke) sponge and a soft brush (Image 2), I gently removed any dirt or dust on the paper. In areas with text, I avoided using the sponge to protect any sensitive media. In cases where stubborn accretions remained, I carefully used a metal spatula to remove them mechanically.

Image 2: Surface cleaning using a soft brush

Following the surface cleaning, I addressed the tear repairs and infills. This phase of treatment is crucial for allowing different stages of the workflow to handle the manuscript safely. For the tear repairs, I used wheat starch paste (shofu) as my adhesive with 3.5gsm Tengu, an unbleached Japanese tissue. The long fibres in the Tengu provide a secure repair, while the lightweight tissue creates almost invisible repairs that enhance image quality (Images 3 & 4).

Image 3: Close up of tear before treatment

Image 4: Close up of tear after treatment

For the infills, I laminated four layers of 12gsm kozo paper to match the thickness of the area being repaired, as well as pairing down the edges so that it sits seamlessly on the original substrate (Images 5 & 6).

Image 5: Before paper infill

Image 6: After paper infill

As for the loose centre-folds, I observed that the silk sewing thread had torn through the paper centre-folds causing them to become loose (Image 7). To address this issue, I decided to repair the tear using 7.3gsm kozo paper (Image 8). This repair not only secures the loose centre-folds but also strengthens the area, preventing the thread from causing further damage.

I began by ensuring that the loose centre-fold aligned properly with the textblock. I also ensured the thread was relaxed and positioned away from the area of the tear repair. I then used wheat starch paste as the adhesive to repair the tear. In areas where additional support was needed, I applied a small amount of paste to the spine fold of the gathering to secure it in place.

Image 7: Close up of the tear in the centre-fold bifolium cause by the silk sewing thread

Image 8: Close up of the repair to the centre-fold bifolium after treatment

Treatment on ADD MS 7490 was concluded by consolidating the tail-edge endband using wheat starch paste to prevent further fraying.

I am deeply grateful for the invaluable knowledge I have gained from everyone at the BLQFP during my time here. It was inspiring to work alongside professionals who are both passionate and deeply committed to the project’s goals. Their generosity in sharing their time and knowledge has significantly enriched my learning experience. I especially want to thank Camille Dekeyser and the Conservation team for their guidance and support, which has been instrumental in shaping my development during this placement.

In September 2022, I began a yearlong internship at The British Library in the conservation department. Prior to this I studied general conservation at Lincoln University, and whilst I enjoyed learning about all types of materials, once I started treating paper objects I knew that I had found my passion, and hopefully my future career.

My studies took place during the Covid-19 lockdowns, so my access to hands on conservation was limited. Entry-level conservation jobs often require a minimum of two years practical experience post training, so finding this internship felt something like a blessing. During my yearlong internship, I have been learning from expert preventive conservators, object, textile, book and paper conservators in a fully equipped conservation studio. This blog post will give an overview of my time spent during the first six months of my internship, beginning with the Exhibitions and Loans team, and then on the long-term bids team.

Img. 1: The BLCC purpose built main studio

Exhibitions and Loans 

The Exhibition and Loans (E&L) team within conservation deal with the treatment and condition checking of objects that have been requested for upcoming exhibitions, either internally at the BL or externally at other lending institutions, including touring exhibitions.

Condition checking and documentation is crucial to the culture of institutions loaning each other objects as record of the exact nature and degree of all damage is important to show that an object has not been further damaged during transit or display. I started on the Exhibitions and Loans team during the install of the Alexander Exhibition, where I was able to watch loan items from other institutions arrive, and to see how different conservators at a variety of institutions described and highlighted different types of damage. I also had the opportunity to assess and record the condition of individual items going out on loan and an entire touring exhibition on its return to the Library. This allowed me to familiarise myself with the specialist vocabulary used in book conservation, the various book structures, and the common types of damage.

I have learnt that putting together an exhibition is a truly collaborative process. During the install many different departments work together to ensure that the final exhibition is educational, contains the most relevant and beautiful objects, is enjoyable for visitors but above all that the objects remain safe, stable and undamaged. The E&L team play a massive role in this: they decide which items are in good enough condition to be displayed, undertake any necessary conservation treatments and decide how best to display objects.

I also worked on the Chinese and British exhibition; I mounted many flat items for display, learning various techniques that ensure each object is displayed at its best whilst being appropriately supported.

Img. 2: ink on paper map mounted with V-hinge technique so the hinges aren’t visible

Img. 3: ink on paper flat work mounted using Melinex corners and sides for additional support

In addition to mounting objects for internal exhibitions I also treated items for internal and external exhibitions, focusing on damage that could increase whilst in transit or on display or aesthetic damage to the display opening. The following are examples of items I have treated for exhibitions and loans.

Img. 4: Volume 10880.d.27 before treatment

Img. 5: Volume 10880.d.27 after treatment, including binding repair, leather consolidation and covering board corners

Img. 6: Volume 1258.k.5 pre-treatment

Img. 7: Volume 1258.k.5 post-treatment: consolidating leather and covering material, repairing delaminating board corners

Long-term bids

In the long-term bids team I have been lucky enough to have three different mentors with varied backgrounds leading to their slightly different areas of knowledge and expertise. This has been an amazing way of learning as I get to see a wider range of treatments and processes and different ways of approaching similar problems. I have learnt that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to conservation, each book is unique and various materials both deteriorate and respond to repairs differently. I explored which approach suited me best and chose the best method and materials for the treatment of every object. I have been able to learn and develop a wide variety of skills this way: tear repairs on flat works, books and scrolls; many applications for different gels; toning tissue; paring, toning  and consolidating leather; repairing board corners; binding repairs; sewing sections of a text block; sewing endbands; removing spine linings and more.  However, for the purpose of this blog I will detail the treatment of 118.e.5, and how I was able to develop the skills required for each treatment step.

Img. 8: Volume 118.e.5 pre-treatment

The tail endband had become partially detached and the endband and spine were dirty. I began with surface cleaning to improve the appearance and to ensure repair materials would adhere sufficiently.

I attended a gels course run by three British Library conservators where I learnt how to make a variety of gels at different concentrations and experiment with their suggested applications.

Img. 9: The different gels tested during the gels course

Img. 10: experimenting with a variety of gels to reduce different types of stains

Img. 11: Endband during cleaning with Konjac & Xantham

Img. 12: Endband and exposed spine after cleaning

I selected Konjac and Xantham gel to clean the spine and endband by applying it as a poultice, leaving for a few minutes and then removing the poultice, which was very effective. The endband was now ready to be reattached!

I learnt to sew endbands whilst making a sewing model, which furthered my understanding of the structure and purpose of the endband.

Img. 13: Sewing model endband

I learnt to reattach endbands by observing my mentor completing an endband repair to a volume where the head and tail endbands were detaching. This enabled me to take photos and make detailed notes before repairing the other endband, giving me enough confidence to carry out similar treatments more independently in the future.

Img. 14: endband fixed into original position and endband markers mark each

I fixed the endband into its correct position using a piece of Japanese tissue adhered with wheat starch paste before marking the centre of each section I planned to sew through. After the first stitch, I tied a knot on the outer side of the spine to secure the thread.

Img. 15: endband sewn back into original position

I then sewed underneath the endband core, back over the top of the endband and then back through the textblock, with a linen thread that closely matched the original white thread.

Img 16: The repair stitches

Now secured, the next step was to reform the head cap using archival calf leather.

I had no experience working with leather prior to my internship, but have quickly learnt that each leather is different and that paring leather takes a considerable amount of strength! My first attempts at paring leather were thankfully on strips of off-cut leather as they were not pretty, though I’m assured it’s a skill that requires much practice to perfect.

Img 17 : The spine edge and head edge of volume 118.e.5 after treatment

After paring and consolidating the leather, I adhered it to the spine using wheat starch paste.

I loved working on this book, having confidence in my ability to complete each step made me feel like a real, fully-fledged book conservator, and I was really happy with the outcome of the treatment. I am learning more and more by the day and whilst I will be sad to leave the long term bids team, I am excited to join the preventive team before returning to the studio to focus on binding structures. If you’ve found this an interesting read, I will be writing another post detailing my time on future teams so watch this space !

Two Johann Sebastian Bach manuscripts in the British Library’s music collections - the autograph manuscript of the second book of the Well-Tempered Clavier (BWV 870-893) and of the cantata ‘Wo soll ich fliehen hin?’ (BW 5), recently came into the conservation studio. Treatment was undertaken with generous support from the Leche Trust.

This blog post focuses on the work undertaken on the Well-Tempered Clavier manuscript, which we are pleased to say is now complete.

Prelude in C Major (before treatment)

Effects of Iron Gall ink corrosion; Iron gall ink has been used since the middle ages and is found on many of our most treasured manuscripts, including the Lindisfarne Gospels, Beowulf and Magna Carta. The main ingredients of iron gall ink include iron sulphate, tannins from oak galls and water.

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II

Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier (named after a system of tuning – ‘well temperament’) is one of those musical works that seems to justify the grand claims made about it. On the face of it, it’s a simple series of preludes and fugues in every key, major and minor: 24 in all, with two sets of these (giving the series its nickname ‘the 48’)’. But it’s also a jaw-dropping feat of compositional virtuosity, with Bach using his immense contrapuntal skills to weave together separate musical lines that fit together logically (but never too predictably) and yet also produce inspired music at the same time.

The British Library’s manuscript of the second book of the Well-Tempered Clavier (Add MS 35021 and Add MS 38068) is really a set of individual manuscripts for 21 of the preludes and fugues in the second book (those in C-sharp minor, D major and F minor are unfortunately not preserved here and must have been separated from the others at an earlier date). These were composed between 1739 and 1742.

Each prelude and fugue were mostly written out to (very satisfyingly) fit on a single side of an open folded page, avoiding the need to turn the sheet over – even if this at times means a bit of a squeeze. (No amount of squeezing was going to fit the lengthy prelude and fugue in A-flat major onto one side – this carries on over to the next side). Most of the pieces have been written out by Johann Sebastian Bach himself, apart from four and a bit which are known to be in the hand of his second wife, Anna Magdalena (those in C minor, D minor, E major, G major and the beginning of the prelude in F major).

Prelude in C minor (BWV 871), in the hand of Anna Magdalena Bach (before treatment)

Planning – what were the issues?

Unfortunately, even in optimal storage conditions, chemical and physical processes that pose a risk to manuscripts like these can, over time, still occur. We minimise threats to the collection as much as possible, by controlling factors like temperature and humidity, by using appropriate housing and by limiting access to, and use of, particularly vulnerable materials. However, even with strict environmental monitoring a common problem that is difficult to halt entirely is one of iron gall ink corrosion. Like much music of this period and earlier, these Bach manuscripts are especially at risk from this due to the make-up of the inks that were used – iron sulphate and acidic tannins in particular, which, over time, oxidise and ‘eat away’ at the paper. There’s an interesting blog post on this here:  https://blogs.bl.uk/collectioncare/2021/06/iron-gall-ink-on-paper-saving-the-words-that-eat-themselves.html.

When it came to planning conservation work, there were two main issues to consider. One was the corroding ink, as mentioned above. This is a particular problem where the ink is applied thickly to a small area, as tends to happen when writing expressive music notation. There were various examples of this on the Bach manuscript, ranging from visible holes to less obvious hairline cracks, making it extremely vulnerable.

The other issue was previous methods of preservation in manuscripts past - the manuscript pages had been bound into a single large volume, with each folio mounted into paper windows. This mounting paper had aged poorly, shown in the image below. Over time, its acidic properties have led to it discolouring and becoming brittle – meaning some were no longer secure in the binding. Tension from the acidic border was also causing stress to the centre of each bifolio of the manuscript, increasing the risk of splitting. It was clear that the time had come to give the manuscript a more appropriate long-term home.

Previous binding for Add MS 35021

Manuscript folios mounted in paper inlays inside (before treatment)

Conservation over time

Something that really made an impression in the course of this project was the changing approach to conservation over the years – understandable given evolving knowledge, the emergence of new technologies and shifting emphasis in professional standards. However, while treatment undertaken decades ago might appear questionable now, we are mindful that it was done with the best intentions given the tools and knowledge available at the time.

A good example is in relation to iron gall ink. There are very few ways to fully halt the corrosive effects of the ink and limiting the damage is often the only approach. However, one treatment that emerged in the mid-1990s involves an aqueous treatment, using a calcium phytate solution to neutralise the acidic iron content in the ink.

In recent years, the British Library has established processes for this treatment, but still it is not something to be undertaken lightly. While extensive testing prior to treatment ensures that both the structure of the paper and the ink will remain secure, nonetheless the process has the effect of washing the paper. Therefore, this results in the removal of dirt and accretions but also, potentially valuable but less obvious, evidence of historical use.  

The decisions are not easy, as weighed against the potential risk of sometimes losing potential sources of historical evidence, such as staining on the paper, is the risk of the manuscript deteriorating to such an extent that any kind of study becomes impossible.

Decisions

Given the iconic status of this manuscript, many people were involved in the decision-making and the project was a collaboration between curatorial and conservation teams. One objective that was clear was the new housing needed for the folios of the manuscript, which would keep them more secure.

In terms of treatment of the iron gall ink, we decided to take a cautious approach for now, and only apply the calcium phytate treatment to two folios, which suffered from different and more pressing issues from the others. These (which contained the A-flat major prelude and fugue, ff. 13 and 14), had been removed from the bound volume more than a century ago. At different points since then they had received conservation work of differing levels of invasiveness, including a coating of transparent heat set tissue applied to one side of the fugue and repairs along the fold of that page too. The aim in focusing a higher level of treatment on these particular folios was to stabilise the corrosive properties of the ink on one of the most problematic examples among the Well-Tempered Clavier manuscripts, and also to reduce some of the ill effects of previous treatments. This work would also make it possible to safely rehouse these folios in the same way as the others, removing them from their unsuitable temporary storage.

Prelude in A-flat major, f. 13v, showing coating of heat set tissue.

Conservation work begins

All our manuscripts are special and unique of course, and receive due care and attention to ensure their long-term preservation. Often there are particular manuscripts that are so iconic that you find yourself to be quite awestruck in their presence, this was certainly the case here and it was a wonderful moment when the volume containing the manuscripts was unpacked in the conservation studio. We took a moment to listen to the pieces as we looked at the score, we felt humbled in that moment as we contemplated the music that had inspired so many, as the notes on the page seemed to dance before us.

After thorough documentation and testing, treatment began by disbinding the volume and removing the folios from the acidic inlay paper; this was done mechanically using a poultice of sieved gelatine mousse. Whilst removing the old acidic paper mounts we uncovered the edge of the text previously covered by the inlay.

Removing remnants of acidic paper mounts during the calcium phytate bath

Aqueous treatment of the two folios

The treatment of folios 13 and 14 was achieved in three stages: first the documents were washed then treated with calcium phytate and then calcium bicarbonate. This helped stabilise the corrosive properties of the ink and remedy some of the ill effects of the previous treatment. 

Prior to immersion, multispectral images of these folios were taken by our imaging scientist, ensuring we have a clear record of the manuscript prior to treatment. Multispectral imaging captures image data within determined wavelength ranges across the electromagnetic spectrum. It can be used to examine discolourations and staining, by comparing the "spectral fingerprint" of an accretion to a known chemical substance. It can also reveal things that are only visible on different parts of the spectrum and allow us to capture the true colours of the image to accurately assess any ink changes after treatment.

One of the series of multispectral images

The existing condition of these particular folia made them a priority to treat in this way, but the experience of doing so will allow us to weigh in the balance the benefits or not of undertaking similar treatment on other folios in the future, should the degradation of the corrosive ink progress. For now, fragile inks on the other folios of the manuscript have been supported with a very fine toned Japanese tissue and gelatine using a low moisture technique. This was carried out over a light box to ensure any weakened areas of iron gall ink were spotted.

After Treatment

All the folios have now been housed individually in a more sympathetic, double sided mount. This rigid mount allows each page to be correctly supported and viewed in full and is suitable for both storage and exhibition display, minimising the need for handling or further work. The mounted folios were then stored in several bespoke acid-free phase boxes to offer additional protection on the shelf.

The conserved folios in their new mounts (after treatment)

Prelude in G major (BWV , f. 23r, after treatment)

Conclusion

Thank you to the Leche Trust for their generous support which allowed the items to be conserved and ensured that the manuscripts themselves are now better preserved and protected for posterity.

The British Library’s responsibility as custodian of these iconic examples of Bach’s creativity involves finding a balance between protecting the physical manuscripts and finding ways for their appreciation by a wide audience. High-quality digital images are a key tool for providing access, but this conservation treatment will also make it possible for researchers to work with the original material where this is necessary – further enhancing our understanding of Bach’s creative practise. It is also now safer to exhibit these iconic collections beyond the reading room, in our gallery spaces, where you can join us and experience the real thing.

Samantha Hare and Chris Scobie

You may have seen a recent conversation sparked by one of our ‘Before and After’ conservation posts on the Library’s main social media channels. This may have got you wondering how conservators decide on the best treatment methods for collection items. In this blog we are going to dive deeper into the treatment of the volumes pictured in the Before and After images, giving further insight into the many considerations a conservator makes when treating an item.

Conservators at the British Library have to balance the future use of the book with the preservation of historic evidence. In a working library like ours, books are used by readers and our treatments must take this into account. The set of manuscript volumes pictured in the recent social media post are an example of this decision-making process and posed an interesting yet familiar conservation challenge.

The Thurloe State Papers volumes I-VII date back to 1742 and arrived in our conservation studio in poor condition. Each book exhibited similar degrees of damage and deterioration including detached boards, loss of endbands, severely degraded leather on the spines, splits in the textblock with damage to the sewing structure, and very worn and abraded boards.

These are highly requested collection items, and without thorough treatment would no longer be available for reference. Enabling access to readers is one of the BL’s core purposes and our Conservation department works hard to facilitate public access to our national heritage by ensuring that our books are in good condition in order to be handled and read without risk of further damage to the bindings. 

Thurloe's State Papers Vols I-VII prior to conservation. All the volumes had detached boards with severely damaged edges and corners. In this condition they cannot be issued to readers.

The top of the volumes showing ingrained dirt on the textblock and the loss of all the leather headcaps and silk endbands apart from a few remaining fragments.

Planning a conservation treatment involves a complex range of considerations from different fields including material and chemical science, preservation, historical context, value, ethics as well as the suitability of practical techniques and available time and resources. 

We follow a Code of Ethics which helps inform the process and to ensure that we are asking the right questions. Conservators use their professional judgement in combination with discussions with curators about the context of the items within the Library's historic collections and so it is a collaborative approach.

The most common form of damage that we find in Library collections is board detachment. This prevents books from being issued to readers due to the risk of damage to the textblock or loss of material.  There are a variety of causes of detached boards, including ageing of materials and general wear and tear from use.

Because a book is a physical object with moving parts, the action of opening and closing the boards can put a strain along the joint area, which can cause the covering material and sewing supports to break - resulting in detachment of the boards. 

There are various techniques used to reattach book boards.  Often, a volume needs to be 'rebacked' as part of the process of reattaching the boards; repairs are made to the textblock, sewing structure and endpapers and then new spine coverings are applied and carefully inserted under the existing leather on the boards. This process necessitates the removal of the existing spine coverings as it is often the case that strong and durable repairs cannot be undertaken without access to the spine of the volume.

An ideal conservation treatment would involve the re-use of original material wherever possible in order to minimise any aesthetic change to the item. When rebacking volumes it is our practice to, where appropriate, reattach the original spine pieces back onto the new spine. This retains the visual appearance of the book whilst providing a strong and durable repair. However, if the original material is too degraded to be reattached to the book - as in the case of the Thurloe State Papers - we need to consider other options.

The original spine leather was degraded and worn away with splits and cracks around the raised sewing supports as well as up and down the spine.

Many of the endbands and headcaps were missing on all seven volumes. 

As you can see from the close-up photograph, the original spine leather was very thin, degraded and fragmented. It was also adhered directly onto the spinefolds of the textblock paper as part of the 'tightback' binding structure making them very difficult to remove intact due to their fragility.

If we did reattach these spine panel fragments they would, in a very short time, wear away through use and be completely lost to researchers now and in the future.  So whilst we couldn’t reuse the spine panels, we did carefully remove and store them with the collection item. This way, they are preserved along with the bindings for future reference.

The remaining spine fragments were too fragile to be reattached and have been stored with each volume in its protective box.

Sometimes ‘Before and After’ photographs can look like quite a dramatic change to the object, but in this case only the spines of these volumes required replacement. The original boards were reused even though they were severely damaged.  The worn-down board corners were rebuilt and re-covered in new leather. Along the exposed and abraded board edges, the original leather was carefully lifted and new leather inserted underneath in order to preserve as much of the gold tooled edge decoration as possible.

An example of the damaged board corners prior to conservation.

Board corners after rebuilding and covering with archival calf leather.

Where the board edges were exposed, new leather was carefully inserted underneath the existing leather whilst retaining the gold tooled edge decoration.

The materials used in our conservation treatments are selected for their proven archival qualities, strength and durability.  Materials such as linen fabric and threads, handmade paper and wheat starch paste have been long used in traditional bookbinding, as is the ‘rebacking’ process of covering spines with new leather or cloth and decorating with gold leaf.

Whilst considering how to carry out the finishing on the Thurloe State Papers, it was decided to use a simplified version of the gold leaf lettering and decoration. This was partly because we do not have the historic finishing tools used by the original binder to be able to replicate the decoration exactly.  Secondly, this hand craft is highly skilled and very time-consuming - and we have to justify the amount of time spent on decorating individual volumes when there are so many other books needing conservation in the Library.

Spine of Volume 1 following conservation treatment

Left board of Volume 1 following conservation treatment

Conservators take great care to match the colours of new materials added so that they appear sympathetic to the existing material. In this case, the new spine labels were made of red leather and even the endband threads dyed to match the originals.

Primary endbands were sewn in plain linen thread followed by secondary endbands in silk, dyed pink and green to match the original thread found in the volumes.

The completed endband.

We enjoyed reading the range of comments these Before and After photos inspired. It’s great to see that so many people care about the preservation of historical books - and the range of comments show that not only that there are a huge number of factors to weigh up in making treatment decisions, but also that several different approaches could be used to achieve a similar outcome.

Conservators have to consider that books are mechanical objects, not just historic artefacts, and have moving parts that need to function in conjunction with each other in order for the book to be used. This is often dependent on the construction materials and methods used and is one of many other factors, such as historical context and the status of the object, which are taken into consideration when planning conservation treatments at the British Library.

If readers are interested in learning more about books as 'dynamic objects', there was a recent Institute of Conservation talk about this very subject, which you can watch on the Icon YouTube channel.

Keep an eye out for an upcoming blog post which will discuss more broadly the varying approaches to conservation decision-making in the Library’s Conservation department.

One of seven volumes of Thurloe's State Papers now fully conserved and able to be accessed in our Reading Rooms.

Vicky West ACR, Book Conservator

Nicole Monjeau, Preventive Conservator

Paul Garside & Zoë Miller

Iron gall ink (IGI) will be familiar to most of us as the characteristic brown ink that we associate with the authenticity and softly aged aesthetic of historic documents.  It is the most important writing and drawing ink in Western culture, initially emerging in the first centuries AD and continuing in widespread use until the 20^th century.  Many thousands of examples of its use on both parchment and paper can be found in the British Library’s historic collections, ranging from Treasures and other important items, such as the Codex Sinaiticus, the Lindisfarne Gospels, Magna Carta, manuscripts penned by Henry VIII and the works of famous diarists such as John Evelyn, to more commonplace letters, notes, musical scores and records. And IGI documents will form a vital part of our forthcoming exhibition ‘Elizabeth and Mary: Royal Cousins, Rival Queens’ .

[Figure 1] An example of IGI on paper (Walpole Papers 73898).

However, IGI may damage the surface on which it is written, and paper is at particular risk, leading to characteristic haloing, fragility, fracturing and areas of loss. It has been estimated that up to 80% of European archives contain items at significant risk of this problem. The potential to cause damage has been known for a long time: in 1765 the English chemist William Lewis published a treatise on the stability of IGI, and over one hundred years ago the Vatican Library warned about the impending destruction of many precious manuscripts from the effect.  However, the ink remained popular, not least for its durability and permanence (it adheres firmly to the substrate, and resists rubbing and washing, unlike carbon inks), but also because it was easy and cheap to make, using a wide variety of historic recipes.  Most recipes are based around four principal components: gallic acid, derived from oak galls; iron(II) sulphate (often referred to as green vitriol); water or an aqueous medium; and a binding agent, such as gum Arabic.  When these ingredients are mixed, the acid and the iron sulphate react together then oxidise to form iron(III) gallate, which is strongly coloured; the ink is typically a dark slate grey when first formed, turning brown or orange as it ages.

[Figure 2] The effects of IGI corrosion.

Why does this ink cause damage? There are two main, interlinked processes. Sulphuric acid is a by-product of the reaction which creates the ink, and this can lead to hydrolysis of the cellulose that forms the building blocks of paper. Excess iron(II) ions, from the initial ingredients, can also speed up the oxidative degradation of cellulose. In conjunction, these two effects are often referred to as IGI corrosion, and in extreme cases inked lines can actually crack and drop out of the paper surface. We have found that imbalanced recipes and impure ingredients can complicate the aging process and damaging properties of these inks, resulting in wide visual differences. The Instituut Collectie Nederland (ICN) has developed a four level system to categorise the damage caused by IGI , from 1 to 4 ('good' to 'very poor' condition), as shown in these examples from the BL's collection:

[Figure 3] The condition of IGI on paper: 1 (good condition - no/light discoluration and stable to handle); 2 (fair condition - dark discolouration around ink, with no immediate mechanical damage, but this could result from handling); 3 (poor condition - some mechanical damage around ink, and handling is likely to cause more damage); 4 (very poor condition - serious loss of substance, which will be exacerbated by handling).

Historically, treatments for paper documents suffering from IGI corrosion were much more invasive than would now be considered acceptable, including processes such as lamination, simmering or aggressive de-acidification.  Greater understanding of the material and developments in conservation science have allowed a more tailored, less invasive range of options. For some documents, aqueous treatments will be the most appropriate choice: the items are immersed in a calcium phytate solution, to bind and isolate damaging iron(II) ions, accompanied by gentle de-acidification, to remove existing acids and provide an alkaline reserve.  For other documents, low moisture repairs (using gelatine adhesive, which resists IGI attack as well as providing mechanical stabilisation) or the more conventional support of physical damage will be better choices.  The following chart gives an overview of our thought-processes when considering the best approach; we developed it to help visualise the process and explain our decision-making to colleagues.  As can be seen, we would consider a wide range of factors, including:

• The state of the IGI and the damage it has caused, assessed using the ICN categorisation.
• The overall condition of the item, taking into account any signs of damage to its composition or structure, the presence of vulnerable components such as water-sensitive materials, and its general stability and ease of handling.
• Our 'risk appetite' for the item.  This represents our willingness to accept risks when treating the object, and is related to factors such as cultural value, historic significance and rarity. This would obviously be very low for Treasures items, but even with objects assigned a higher risk appetite, we would not act recklessly or without planning – we may, however, be willing to consider more interventive or extensive treatments to enable the item to be more widely accessed.

[Figure 4] Decision-making for the treatment of IGI on paper.

This scheme is not prescriptive, however, and each object would be assessed and treated on its own merits. Furthermore, sometimes the best conservation decision is to carry out no treatment at all, and in all cases our work is underpinned by good preventive conservation, in the form of appropriate storage, suitable environmental conditions and sympathetic handling.

[Figure 5] Aqueous treatment of poor condition IGI on paper, in the BL’s conservation studio.

Many thanks to the Thriplow Charitable Trust for supporting this research.

Amy Baldwin, Book Conservator & Jessica Pollard, Digitisation Conservator

In April and May 2019 we had the pleasure of welcoming two members of staff from the Palestinian Museum, Baha Jubeh, Conservation Manager and Bara Bawatneh, Conservator, to the British Library as part of a collaborative Conservation for Digitisation project funded by the Cultural Protection Fund administered by the British Council. Over a six week period we carried out training in conservation methods specifically for digitisation to assist in the successful completion of the project, the aims of which were:

1. To establish the first paper-based conservation studio in the West Bank
2. Training and capacity building for staff from the Palestinian Museum
3. Conservation and Preservation of 3000 paper-based endangered collection items
4. Education and advocacy activities

[Picture 1: Welcoming Baha and Bara to the British Library Centre for Conservation. Left to right Baha Jubeh, Roly Keating, Bara Bawatneh, Amy Baldwin, Jessica Pollard, Cecile Communal]

The relatively short time period but large amount of information to cover meant an intensive and busy six weeks were spent in the conservation studios. Our priority was to equip them with the necessary skills to complete the project while keeping intervention to a minimum, and although we had to be realistic with the timescale we also needed to be flexible to adapt to their specific needs. The training schedule included, but was not limited to, an introduction to paper conservation; the practicalities of setting up a conservation studio; mould identification and remediation; and developing an understanding of the end-to-end digitisation process.  Time spent with colleagues from imaging and curatorial departments, as well as trips to Windsor Castle and The National Archives conservation studios, complemented this practical training and gave further insight into the complexities of digitisation projects.

[Picture 2: Bara carrying out repairs to a manuscript]

[Picture 3: Bara and Baha being introduced to a selection of Arabic collection items by curator Daniel Lowe and head of Asian and African Collections Luisa Mengoni]

We made a return visit to the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, Ramallah in June 2019. The Museum is housed in a stunning award-winning building surrounded by gardens which illustrate the history of agriculture and plants in Palestine, and the paper conservation studio is the first of its kind on the West Bank. At the time of our visit the conservation focus was on the Museum’s Digital Archive project, which digitised thousands of paper items from endangered collections belonging to small institutions and private individuals. These items were loaned to the Museum for the duration of the digitisation process. Many had been kept in private homes for many years, and the condition varied from a light layer of surface dirt to large tears and water damage.

[Picture 4: Piecing together a damaged item]

Three volunteers had been recruited to assist with the project, and we were able to collaborate with the Museum’s conservator in providing training for them. We only had four days together, so we had to ensure that the volunteers’ skills were utilised effectively, and we knew that the time available for them to practice their new skills before starting work on loan items would be very short. With this in mind, the volunteers’ training focused on surface cleaning, flattening and simpler paper repairs. This left the Museum’s conservator to concentrate on items with more complex damage, including photographs, which require different treatment to other paper-based items.

[Picture 5: Discussing treatment options of a rolled item damaged by mould]

[Picture 6: Assessment of items prior to digitisation with Bara and the three volunteers]

The final phase of the project took place in late 2020. Its focus was on those items that were classified as badly damaged and had so far been left untreated, the majority of which were bound manuscripts. Further training was required to assist in completing the treatment of these item, however the global pandemic put a stop to any hope of providing UK based in-person training so we turned our attention to what could reasonably and safely be taught virtually. The original training sessions, largely focusing on wet treatments and simple book repair methods, had to be adapted with a new emphasis on handling and imaging fragile manuscripts safely with limited conservation intervention. Using a mixture of online presentations, pre-recorded demonstration videos and digital handouts we provided training in the following: handling fragile items for digitisation; consolidation and repair of mould-damaged paper; health and safety for conservation; an introduction to book structures; separating pages adhered together; and mould remediation. With no previous experience of carrying out virtual training it was a steep learning curve, especially filming and editing our own videos, and although we had to adapt our initial training proposal and scale-down our expectations, we were incredibly pleased to be able provide training during a difficult period and assist in the completion of a complicated project, which was only made possible due to the enthusiasm, skill and determination of those at the Palestinian Museum.

[Picture 7: During filming of a pre-recorded training video for the consolidation of paper]

[Picture 8: A still from a training video showing the separation of pages adhered together due to mould damage]

Elisabeth Randell, Conservator (Books)

Figure 1: IO San 3251 before treatment.

The British Library has a large collection of birch bark manuscripts. This particular manuscript was flagged for conservation because it was requested for digitisation. Unfortunately, due to its condition it was unable to be safely handled.

This manuscript known as The Mahārnava, from Kashmir, was written in Śārada on birch bark and dates from the 19^th Century. The text discusses Hindu religious law (Dharmaśāstra) dealing with practices for removing and healing diseases and bad influences resulting from the deeds in a former life (Karmavipāka).

Figure 2: IO San 3251 front cover.

Figure  3: IO San 3251 back cover.

The text was compiled probably in the 14^th century, and so the text isn’t so uncommon, however this manuscript still has its original limp vellum cover, which makes this example quite unique. The treatment plan for this object needed to fit for purpose, dealing with it more as an object rather than a manuscript that would be requested and used as a book.

Figure 4: IO San 3251 fore edge before treatment.

Made from the bark of birch trees, each page is made of a laminate of birch bark - in this manuscript laminate of pages vary from 3 to 7 layers of birchbark. Layers of birch bark are held together from the natural resins and gum found in the birch bark, however overtime they naturally dry up and lose their adhesive properties, leaving many pages delaminated.

Figure 5: IO San 3251 delamination and tearing.

Almost all pages suffered from large tears and cracks, predominantly following the horizontal grain of the bark. The general fragility from inherent acidic characteristics of birch bark are made worse by the horizontal brown nodes which are more brittle than the surrounding bark due to a higher concentration of lignin, a material that gives off acids as it ages.  

Figure 6: IO San 3251 delamination and tears along nodes.

Figure 7: IO San 3251 old repairs.

The nature of this material and method of production required a much different repair technique than would be employed for paper-based objects. For paper repairs stabilising a tear with a Japanese tissue on the recto or verso is a common technique. However, with this manuscript being made up of a laminate of organic material, it required a more considered approach.  Keeping in mind a balance of tension, and the many layers making up each sheet, a weaving technique was used to weave the repair tissue between the delaminated and cracked areas, where possible.

Figure 8: example of repair options: inserting repair tissue between delaminated layers or weaving repair tissue between tears.

Figure 9: IO San 3251 tear and delamination before treatment.

Figure 10: IO San 3251 inserting toned kozo tissue on top of tear and between delaminated layers.

Figure 11: IO San 3251 tear and delamination after treatment.

Methyl cellulose 4% was chosen as the adhesive for its elastic nature, allowing the repairs and original material to flex naturally, and not become stiff as the old repairs.

Pages that had become loose were reattached to each other, weaving the tissue around original sewing to secure them in place.

Figure 12: IO San 3251 Japanese tissue hinges attached to both pages. Adhesive is applied to the Japanese hinges and attached to one another, repairing the broken spine fold. 

All repairs have been carried out and now the manuscript is able to be safely handled, pages can be turned without risk of further catching and tearing. Digitisation will be the next step for this manuscript so it will be available to a much wider audience, with minimal disruption to the physical object.

Figure 13: IO San 3251 fore edge after treatment.

Figure 14: IO San 3251 fore edge before treatment.

Figure 15: IO San 3251 after treatment.

Amy Baldwin, Book Conservator

The British Library’s India Office Records acquired the papers of Charles Canning and his wife Charlotte in 2013. While most were in a fit state to be catalogued and made available to the public, five volumes of Charlotte Canning’s personal diaries had been badly damaged by fire and were too vulnerable to be handled without extensive conservation work (curator Lesley Shapland has provided a vivid account of the fire in Charlotte’s tent which damaged the diaries on the Untold Lives blog).

F699 2/2/2/3 before treatment

The primary aim of treatment was to make the diaries available for consultation by curators and researchers. But because the fire which caused the damage is an integral part of the diaries’ histories, and because it sheds light on the wider context of the Cannings’ lives in India, it was desirable that the evidence of the burn damage also be preserved. The conservation treatment therefore had to offset the risks posed by the burn damage while making sure the damage itself remained intact - an intriguing challenge!

The first stage of treatment was to consolidate the burnt edges of the diaries’ pages. This was done by applying a Japanese kozo paper weighing only 4gsm/m² on top of the badly burnt areas. As well as being very lightweight this paper has long fibres, and therefore provides strength and support to the brittle page while being almost transparent.

Burnt page edge after consolidation with kozo paper

The kozo paper was attached to the pages with a gelatin adhesive. This was specifically chosen because it is compatible with the iron gall ink with which Charlotte Canning wrote the diaries.

Charlotte also used her diaries as scrapbooks and many oversized newspaper clippings had been burned in the areas where she had folded them to fit them into the diary. These were repaired with Japanese papers of various weights.

F699 2/2/2/3 before and after treatment

In some cases, where areas of the spine had been burned away, the paper folds of the diary were rebuilt using Japanese paper, so that it could be sewn back together and could continue to function as a volume. Care was taken to recreate the exact original sewing style, so that the diary would continue to open in the same way. This also helped to preserve the historical integrity of the item as a Victorian notebook.

Spine of F699 2/2/2/4 after sewing repair

In the case of one diary, the burn damage was so extensive that the conservation work required to return the fragments of pages to the format of a book would have obscured much of the fire damage. It would also have posed a risk to the fragments, as they were so brittle that they could not flex without cracking, as they would need to in order to survive being turned as pages in a book.

The pages of this diary were therefore encapsulated between sheets of polyester surrounded by rigid frames made from acid-free mount board. This allows the text on both sides to be read without the vulnerable pages being flexed, or indeed handled directly at all.

F699 2/2/2/6 before and after treatment

The diaries were stored in acid-free mount board wrappers to protect the page edges from being abraded. Each diary was then placed in a purpose-made box. The diaries still need to be handled with care, so the wrappers have been labeled with instructions for readers on how to use them safely.

F699 2/2/2/3 after treatment and in its protective wrapper

This was a major project, taking two conservators nearly 400 hours, and the fact that Charlotte Canning’s diaries are now accessible in the reading rooms is a source of great satisfaction for curatorial and conservation staff. 

The British Library's next major exhibition, Writing: Making Your Mark, opens 26 April and runs until 27 August 2019. In preparation for the exhibition, conservator Rebecca D'Ambrosio has been working on the conservation of one of the items which will be on display.

The story of a book through its binding

What does the cover and structure tell us about the story, provenance, use and journey of a book? Do they add value to the information it contains? The history of book binding has gone hand in hand with the history of writing. So, what happens if a covering is changed? Has anything been lost or gained? These are some of the questions we ask ourselves as conservators as we try to understand a book and consider how best to repair it.

The lost original binding: A Chinese and Western book

The book, titled Zi bu ji jie (Explanation of the Radicals of Chinese characters), introduces the concept of how Chinese writing works. It was made in a Chinese style binding in Macao, China in 1840, commissioned by an American man, Issachar Jacox Roberts as a gift for Walter Medhurst who was translating the bible into Chinese at the time.

The broken second binding: The British Library style

Many years ago the book was dis-bound from its Chinese-style binding and re-bound into a Western-style binding. The disadvantages of this binding are that it does not respect its original opening direction from right to left, it deforms the structure of the book and new sewing holes were made in the process.

In addition to all this, the western-style binding has become worn around all edges and the back board of the cover is detached.

The new conservation binding: Sympathetic to its origins

Rather than repairing the back board, it was decided with the Curator that this was an opportunity to return the book to a style of binding similar to its original.

Firstly, the spine was removed and the adhesive below was softened with the application of wheat starch paste. The Chinese book was now free of the Western binding but the remaining adhesive residue prevented the separation of the pages.

The tears and losses in the cover were repaired and the spine strengthened with a toned Japanese tissue paper and wheat starch.

Finally, because of the fragility of the book, new covers of a neutral-coloured Japanese paper were added, folded in the same way as the rest of the textblock pages. The whole was sewn together with linen thread re-using its original sewing holes and following the traditional Chinese binding pattern.

Adding to the story of a book

As conservators, knowledge of the history of the book format inspires every conservation treatment we carry out. We must take into consideration how our decisions will impact aesthetics, use and durability, historical aspect, value and significance. Every treatment will have a certain degree of impact on a book and adds to its story.

It was exciting to return this Chinese book to its original style, and learn more about its story as I added to it. Soon you will be able to see this book for yourself on display in the exhibition ‘Writing: Making your Mark’.

Rebecca D'Ambrosio