During Fall of 2023, I treated a leather-bound book of French writer Marcel Proust's Du Côté De Chez Swann. This copy was published by Nouvelle Revue Française, possibly between 1920-1950.
The lower portion of the spine was completely detached, and the front edge of the remaining spine was detached. Pollutants, handling, and natural aging caused a powdering deterioration of the leather called "red rot".
Explore my treatment process below, and click here to view my full treatment report.
Front cover.
Back cover.
Exterior of detached spine fragment.
Undersurface of detached spine fragment.
Before Treatment
Treatment Process
(1) Dry cleaning:
Using a soft bristle brush and cotton swabs, I gently cleaned the cover and spine.
(2) Consolidation of red rot:
I consolidated the red rot on the spine and cover edges using Cell-U-Gel, a conservation grade consolidant to stabilize flaking and powdering leather.
(3) Making hinges to reattach the spine:
I tore strips of Japanese tissue paper which I adhered on the inside of the spine with wheat starch paste. I then made a small pocket beneath the leather cover in which I applied a small amount of wheat starch paste and wedged in the Japanese tissue paper.
(4) Attaching the spine fragment:
Using the same hinge technique from above, I reattached the spine fragment on both edges.
(5) Fills and in-painting:
I made fills along the spine using Japanese tissue paper and methyl cellulose as the adhesive. I in-painted these fills and areas of consolidated red rot using PVA paints.
After Treatment
Front cover after treatment.
Spine after treatment.
Back cover after treatment.