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English Pleasure Gardens, 1929 

by Rose Standish Nichols

Treatment performed at: The Charleston Library Society Book Conservation Studio

Overseen by Conservator: Brien Beidler

Early-twentieth-century circulating book with a tear in the spine cover, repaired with Japanese tissue to strengthen the hollow spine, and aesthetic harmony returned to the buckram lining with Prismacolor colored pencils
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This, the second circulation book I repaired at the CHS, English Pleasure Gardens (1929), was in need of a modified hollow spine repair like The Danube. I entered the volume's condition and treatment proposal into the circulation repair log, a condensed condition report used by Mr. Beidler in the Book Conservation Studio. 

For the modified hollow spine repair, slightly altered from the previous implementation of the procedure, a piece of Japanese tissue was cut the height of the spine and 6X the width of the spine. This time, about a third of the tissue was left dry above the repair while the other two thirds of the tissue were applied with 1:1 methyl cellulose and wheat paste mixture over the text block and spine. This was allowed to dry with the mylar between the spine and text block and holitex tightly holding the book closed like a dust jacket. After drying, the spine was reopened, the text block rewetted and the mylar put back. The third of dry tissue was then folded over the mylar and spine and secured with glue. The spine was closed again with holitex to try overnight.

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