KATHLEEN MULLENCONSERVATION PORTFOLIO

HOUSINGS

Traditional and Innovative housings

for collections materials

REHOUSING AND SHIFTING ARCHITECTURAL RECORDS

AFTER

The results of a project to individually rehouse architectural drawings in acid free paper and provide full support while shelved

BEFORE

4-FLAP WITH CORNER PROTECTION

This sensitive and significant daguerrotype benefitted from individual housing with built in corner flaps to provide better environmental protection

BOOK CRADLES

Oversize cloth covered cradles for special

collections reading room use

Cradle for exhibit constructed from

mat board

HOUSING FOR WAX SEAL

This wax seal, hanging by a thread from an oversize, folded, parchment document, had been badly damaged

from exposure. The seal was removed and a housing constructed for it so it could be stored safely with the document, but not be subject to the same handling.

LC-STYLE PORTFOLIO

Useful for housing unbound sheets of material, this LC-

style portfolio (shown closed, ¼ open and

completely open) was used as a presentation case for a

first printing of Lincoln’s second inaugural address.

CORNELL STYLE CLAMSHELL BOX

A typical clamshell or “drop spine” box, this one with the addition of a ribbon closure. The Cornell-style box tray is made out of scored and folded barrier board covered with

cloth, while the LC-style clamshell is made by adhering pieces of carefully cut binders board together: a somewhat

lengthier process.

This Phase Box differs slightly from the everyday box because of the addition of an enclosure inside it for the original boards from this 17th century book. Shown from top to bottom are:

the closed box the open box showing the fit of the book the open box showing the board enclosure the boards being inserted into the enclosure

The white stripes at the top and bottom are ethafoam supports carefully cut and placed to fit

between the book boards, giving additional support to the textblock.

PHASE BOX +

CIRCULATING COLLECTIONS

REBACK WITH MORIKI JAPANESE TISSUE

NEW CASE

RECASE

Before treatment (top left), the text block of this book had completely separated from its case. It is shown reattached, below.

DOUBLE FAN ADHESIVE & NEW CASE, INLAID COVER

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

The boards on this 17th century book had shifted into a manner of opening that was damaging to the textblock.

The book was rebound in half calf with false raised bands and a period appropriate marbled paper.

This chromolithograph had an acidic mat attached to the recto with double sided tape. The picture on the left shows the print after mechanical removal of the mat and solvent

based removal of the tape.

BACKING AND TAPE REMOVAL

CELLULOSE ACETATE DELAMINATION

DURING

Lamination with cellulose acetate, or “Barrow Lamination” was common mid-

century. Time has proven that the cellulose acetate used in this treament leeches

damaging plasticizers into the paper. Here, the lamination is reversed with the use of

solvents.

PUBLISHER’S CLOTH BINDING – REBACK

This late 19th century publishers binding case was rebuilt with toned cloth and the textblock was consolidated. The inset at the bottom right shows the opening before and after.

LEATHER REBACK; BOARD AND TEXTBLOCK TREATMENT

This early 19th century American imprint, seemingly having been through flood and fire as evidenced by soot, water damage, broken sewing and warped boards is shown at the top being washed and resewn. The boards were flattened, reattached and the book rebacked with leather, shown before and after in the inset (right).

This ledger, a port log from the city of Galveston, had been reused as a scrapbook. The pages were washed, the clippings removed by lifting them off onto a spun polyester sheet while wet, and they were retained, in order, by lining with japanese paper (shown right). The inset on the left shows the clippings being removed.

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Katie_Mullen@juno.com