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Creating Order Out of Chaos: Storing a Collection of 19th Century Political Ephemera

Introduction

In libraries, we traditionally house rectangular, book-shaped materials. So when a collection of buttons, ribbons and medals entered the lab from the Public Library, our eyes widened as we peered inside the chaos filled box! Initially, we were unsure of how to make order of all the parts for better storage.

*Collection of political ephemera before preservation housing, call number 737.242097 C6971 1841*

This collection of political ephemera was received in a non-archival black banker’s box. It consisted of approximately 13 ribbons, 17 pinback buttons, and 9 metals dating to the late 1800’s and onward.

In the late 19th century, political ephemera like this was once prolific and cheap to produce. It wasn’t until the rise of the celluloid (plastic) button that political ribbons fell out of fashion. After many years of storage, the ribbons were creased, crumpled and interspersed with heavy medals, sharp pins, and acidic envelopes. All components were in need of archival storage containers for long-term preservation, to separate the parts to keep them from damaging each other and to make them easier to handle.

Ashleigh and Chris took on the challenge of housing these non-traditional library materials so as to facilitate future display and exhibition.

Evaluation

Being a book and paper conservator (not an objects or textile conservator!), Ashleigh first started by brainstorming housing options:

Prior storage solutions by the lab were referenced, such as:
- Medals mounted with polyester strapping to a cloth covered mat
- A collection of steamboat keys mounted with ties to corrugated board supports
- A pin mounted to a cloth covered support, stored within a pamphlet binder
After consulting with the Cincinnati Art Museum textile conservator, Obie Linn, Ashleigh quickly ruled out placing silk ribbons into polyester sleeves or bags since static cling issues could be detrimental to fragile fabric. Storing the items within foam recesses was suggested as an alternative.
Some of the buttons and medals were magnetic, so magnets were considered to prevent parts from sliding (such as how tin type photographs can be non-adhesively mounted with rare earth magnets).
Other components that were not magnetic could be secured with ties or straps.
Small metal buttons without fabric (that could easily become lost!) were candidates to store in baggies, similarly to how the University of Kansas Libraries describe housing this collection of pins on their blog.
It also became clear that minor treatment was needed including surface cleaning and humidification to reduce creasing in the ribbons and to encourage proper orientation of the parts during storage. This would also help prepare the items for future exhibition.

Since many parts had varying needs, the items were first grouped by size, type, and if they were magnetic. Once grouped, standardized mount sizes were determined so that no matter what size the ribbons were, they would all fit together inside the same sized box. Additionally, a few ribbons were grouped together on one mount to save space.

*Items being evaluated and grouped into standardized support sizes*

Rudimentary plans were drawn to decide how the groups and parts would eventually be configured into one enclosure. For example, what would make more sense for library storage on a shelf – to orient the final enclosure as a rectangle or square? We went with a rectangle since many shelves at the library have a narrow depth.

Custom Mat Board Mounts with Foam

Chris’ first task was to cut sink mats made with custom Plastizote and Volara polyethylene foam spacers to protect the ribbons from shifting during storage. Ashleigh had previously mounted a few ribbons to museum rag mat board as models, giving him a head start and model for packaging the remaining ribbons. After adhering the polyethylene foam to the mat board with PVA, the mounts were pressed for over a week allowing them to off-gas and dry flat.

Many of the ribbons were adorned with metal parts such as metal tassels, anchors, eagles or portraits embossed on discs like coins. Using the Our Standard ribbon as our standard for mounting (see image below), the ribbons were stored similarly, but with slight variations. Our Standard was first protected within a polyethylene foam custom cut spacer. The metal eagle pin was then secured to the mat board backing with 18/3 linen thread. After looping around the pin, the thread was threaded through holes punched in the mat board backing. Tyvek tape sealed the thread knot at rear. To hold the unruly metal tassels securely to the mat, a 3/16 inch polyethylene strap was inserted into slits cut into the mat board backing and was secured on the back with Tyvek tape.

Similarly, Chris mounted a Democratic metal with an anchor using 18/3 linen thread tied to the mat board mount. In addition, a scrap of a CoLibri jacket was repurposed and customized into a large polyester strap. It was placed between the metal anchor and ribbon to prevent abrasion as the anchor is affixed by a small chain and swings freely upon the ribbon.

*This frayed ribbon needed protection from a metal anchor attached to a chain.*

The largest item, a six-inch diameter coin with the bust of McKinley, was sewn to the mat board as previously described; however, this big old coin also came with a detached pin. Chris creatively added it to the corner with tiny spacers and polyethylene straps.

A smaller McKinley medallion was tension mounted alongside another small presidential ribbon. No other mounting solution was needed for this round object other than a circular cut-out in the foam that held the object snugly in place.

*The round McKinley medallion was secured with tension inside a circular foam cutout.*

Flat Ribbons vs. 3-Dimensional Ribbons

Flat silk ribbons without any added pins or components were stored flat within folders of unbuffered interleaving tissue. The folders were placed on top of unbuffered rag mat board for storage. To prevent the folders from sliding off the mat board when handled, polyethylene strapping was wrapped around the boards and adhered to itself with double stick tape (similar to strapping a book). In the future, the ribbons could be pulled out of the folders and exhibited on the provided mat board supports with the strapping.

Flat ribbons were stored in unbuffered interleaving.

Ribbons with dimensionality were stored with extra layers of foam surrounding them. The foam was built up to the height of the highest point of the object to prevent them from getting knocked during storage. Ribbons also needed interior supports to keep their shapes over time, and to prevent the fabric from flattening. In these cases, unbuffered interleaving tissue was inserted below cloth badges with pleated cloth. Rolls of polyester film were also inserted inside the loops of a black cloth ribbon. The rolled polyester film is intended for storage and can be removed for display.

Extra supports were added to badges with dimensional fabric parts.

The set of badges with extra dimension were also challenging to mount. They did not have convenient places for strapping or tying with thread. Instead, rare earth magnets were attached to the back of the mats to hold the parts in place. Weak rare earth magnets were also used on the front of Andrew Jackson’s badge. The magnets on the front were wrapped with unbuffered interleaving tissue to provide handles for lifting that can easily be removed for exhibition. Magnets on the back were covered with Tyvek tape. These magnets gave just enough hold to secure these in place for storage.

Magnets helped hold this group of badges to their support.

Buttons

In addition to ribbons, this collection had many buttons, coins and trinkets such as these:

These parts were not matted. Instead, the loose metals and coins were sealed individually in polyethylene bags. Within the bags, the pins and coins were given support with thin cardstock. Because metal objects and photographs share similar long-term preservation needs, buttons were pinned to unbuffered cardstock that is traditionally used for storing photographs. Once bagged, they were grouped together by size and type in preparation for the next phase of boxing.

Metal buttons and badges were pinned to cardstock and sealed from humidity inside baggies.

Putting It All Together As One Collection

Now that all the parts were individually protected for storage, it was time to group them together in boxes.

Ribbons were grouped together inside tuxedo boxes.

Mourning ephemera were housed together within a tuxedo box. Pins in honor of Lincoln’s death were stored in an envelope while ribbons were stored on mat board sink mats with polyester strapping

A corrugated banker’s box holds the bagged buttons and coins. Removable spacers make flipping and viewing the buttons easier.

*A custom cloth covered clamshell holds all the parts together.*

All contents of this collection were then assembled by Chris in a beautiful cloth covered clamshell. A foam bumper was added along the outer edge of the bottom tray to add space for hands to slide out the tux boxes.

Chris Voynovich (CHPL) – Conservation Assistant

Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer (CHPL) – Conservator, Co-Lab Manager

To learn more about political ephemera, check out this article by the House of Representatives titled, What Killed the Political Ribbon?

Kalpa-sūtra: A Conservator’s Introduction to an Indian Religious Text

In 2017, an Indian religious text known as a Kalpa-sūtra entered the lab in desperate need for improved storage. Being unfamiliar with this type of religious manuscript I jotted down notes in preparation for housing the item and came up with a basic housing solution. I briefly familiarized myself with terminology, format, and condition needs. This is a summary of those findings with links to resources.

Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library sent their Kalpa-sūtra to the Preservation Lab to receive improved storage. The original storage enclosure was not archival and did not properly fit the manuscript. This left the manuscript vulnerable to damage.

Kalpa-sūtra

Kalpa-sūtra translates to “the Book of Ritual” that was meant to be read daily. It follows a 3-part textural structure. The first part consists of the ‘Lives of the Jinas (an enlightened human being)’ and describes the lives of well-known figures. The second section, known as the ‘String of Elders’ celebrates early teachers of Jainism. And the final section, referred to as the ‘Right Monastic Conduct,’ provides rules to follow during the rainy time of year. The ‘rainy season,’ as it is often referred to, is a time of year when the festival of Paryusan is celebrated and the Kalpa-sutra is heavily used.

Jainism

Jainism is an Indian religion that shares similarities to Buddhism and Hinduism, but is regarded as a separate religion. It’s believed to have originated in the 7^th – 5^th century BCE in the Ganges basin of Eastern India. Jains believe in karma, reincarnation and practicing non-violence to all living creatures. While learning more, I appreciated this article that described the Jain’s thoughtful practice of non-violence by explaining how Jains eat above-ground veggies but avoid eating roots of vegetables so as not to kill the plant.

Format

Earlier Kalpa-sūtra were written on palm leaves and stored in between decorated wooden covers. They were bound with rope or cord through holes punched in the center of the leaves and are read by flipping the leaves up, from bottom to top. To see an example of a palm leaf book, check out this one housed by the Preservation Lab in 2016.

Later Kalpa-sūtra, such as this one owned and digitized by the Public Library, were written on paper beginning in the 14^th century but still follow the same horizontal single-sheet format of the palm leaf. Often they were hand colored, illuminated in gold, and written in a black ink calligraphic style on laid handmade paper. Like many others, the Public Library’s manuscript contains 135 individual loose leaves that have never been bound. The leaves, also referred to as folios, were traditionally written on both sides with seven lines of text.

To learn more about formats of Jain manuscripts please refer to Jainpedia.org.

Decorative Themes

The Public Library’s manuscript is a good example of a traditional paper Kalpa-sūtra manuscript. Its decoration consists of left and right margin lines, and decorative diamond-shaped marks that interrupt the text. The diamonds (often found as circles in other manuscripts) descend directly from the tradition of punching holes in palm leaf books for binding. They are located in similar locations to palm leaf holes and are predetermined when the text is written. On the recto of leaves there are three gold decorative diamonds, one located in the center and one each along the right and left margins. (The V&A refers to these decorations as “central and marginal string holes that are not pierced.”) The verso of leaves contain only one decorative diamond in the center. The religious manuscript is paginated on the recto in both calligraphy and graphite.

*The three diamond shaped decorations descend from the tradition of punching holes in palm leaf books for binding. Palm leaf books were bound with strands of cord.*

Miniature block illuminations are found sporadically throughout the text. The Public Library manuscript appears to resemble similar illumination imagery and of the 15^th century Kalpa-sutra owned by the British Library, available online here where you can read about the context behind the illuminated images.

Public Library illuminations consist of red and blue opaque watercolor and gold illumination. The very base of the paintings are a thin open weave cloth attached directly to the handmade paper. On some leaves, you can see where this thin cloth is folded over onto the other side of the leaf.

*Purple arrows point to a cloth that is wrapped around from the front of the manuscript folio.*

To learn more about how to read a Kalpa-sūtra please see https://jainpedia.org/resources/how-to-read-a-jain-manuscript/.

Manuscript Holders

In my research, I tried to understand how paper Kalpa-sūtra were traditionally stored. It is noted on Jainpedia.org that Jain manuscripts appear to have been stored within decorated covers of paper, cloth, and wood.

From what I can gather by surveying a collection of digitized manuscripts, loose sheets appear to have been stored within chemise-like covers, sometimes with multiple flaps, such as this one from the British Library (Or. 13950) and Gamma 453 where a loose manuscript is stored within a cloth cover:

Front cover
Back cover
Front cover
Back cover

Images courtesy of https://jainpedia.org/manuscript/cardboard-manuscript-holder-front/ and https://jainpedia.org/manuscript/cloth-manuscript-cover-front/

I also discovered some Kalpa-sūtra that had been treated in western traditions. Below are a few examples that include where one is tipped along the bottom edge and bound into a western style half leather binding. Another, MS 22393, appears to be bound along the top edge at the British Library. A third yet, MS 34, at the Royal Asiatic Society is bound in half leather with marbled paper:

Interior tipped-in page of bound manuscript
Interior pages of bound manuscript
Exterior of bound manuscript

Images courtesy of https://jainpedia.org/manuscript/ras-tod-ms34-204/?hilite=%27cover%27, https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/banarasivilasa-jain-religious-poetry, and https://jainpedia.org/manuscript/jina-and-auspicious-symbols/

Others found online have been inlaid into larger sheets of paper, such as the one below from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Manuscripts heavily illuminated and likely suffering from pigment corrosion have been encapsulated between sheets of plastic or glass, such as these from the British Library (Or. 14262 and Or. 13950). One manuscript has been both inlaid into paper and encapsulated:

Inlaid into larger paper sheet
Encapsulated
Inlaid into paper sheet and encapsulated

Images courtesy of https://jainpedia.org/manuscript/stanzas-8-to-10/, https://jainpedia.org/manuscript/folio-with-decorated-borders/, and https://jainpedia.org/manuscript/end-of-text-and-scribal-remark/

Storage Observations

There does not appear to be a conservation standard for storing Kalpa-sūtra manuscripts.
Storage solutions vary widely and are specific to how they will be displayed or handled.
While I appreciate the western tradition of binding loose pages to prevent them from becoming lost, I knew the Public Library preferred to house the manuscript with as little reformatting as possible in order to preserve cultural traditions.
While I came across a few examples that appear to be stored unbound within covers, it was unclear as to the date of the covers, when they were added, and how they might have been formatted. No images were provided of the sides of the covers.
Even though heavier than plastic, glass was likely used for encapsulation to protect the flaking and corroding illuminations from the static charge of plastic.

Conclusion

The housing solution selected at the lab is one of many options and provides a stop-gap until a more traditional format can be explored.

The most severely corroded leaves at the front and back of the text were encapsulated between glass while the rest of the leaves were left loose. This allowed the most vulnerable leaves to be protected from humidity while avoiding the weight of encapsulating the entirety of the manuscript.

The encapsulated and loose manuscript leaves were then stored together (the outer encapsulated leaves helped serve as de facto covers). An Asian four-flap enclosure with bone clasps was custom made to provide structure and stability, as well as perhaps provide a format more sympathetic in style to a Jain holder than a European style enclosure.

Damaged outer leaves are encapsulated while inner leaves are stored in a two-flap paper chemise

Further Research

There is much ripe for future study:

I hope to experience a historic Jain manuscript cover in person to learn the format and structure.
There are downsides to using glass that should be reconsidered in the future: 1. Glass is heavy and breakable. If the glass breaks, it could cause tears in the fragile paper. 2. Glass deteriorates in humid conditions. The alkali will eventually leach out and could cause staining in the paper. This storage solution should be considered a temporary solution until the pigments can be studied and safely consolidated.
Since there is a pigment contributing to corrosion and paper drop-out in the manuscript, it is likely that pigments in the Public Library manuscript contain copper. I would be interested in developing a plan to analyze the pigments to better understand their composition.
As a library book and paper conservator, I am less familiar with fine art painting traditions on paper, particularly Indian painting. This was my first experience with observing an open weave cloth used as a base for illuminated manuscripts. This initial research has me captivated to learn more about the traditions of Indian miniature painting and how they are connected with early stylized Kalpa-sūtra paintings, and if their implications for inherent condition issues can be extrapolated.
The word ‘sutra’ is literally interpreted as “thread” in Sanskrit. Different manuscripts contain the word “sutra” in their title, such as the Indian Kama Sutra, or Asian Buddhist sutras which are not to be confused with the Kalpa-sūtra. Is it possible that because these manuscripts were historically bound with cords or wrapped with ties give rise to the word sutra?

Interesting Side Note

I learned that The Diamond Sutra owned by the British Library is considered the oldest block printed book in existence AND it has been analyzed to find the scroll’s yellow plant dye extract, Berberine, is toxic. It’s possible the toxin can be absorbed through the skin (so those handling should wear gloves!) as mentioned in the Vol. 21, Number 4, Nov. 1997 Abbey Newsletter under the heading Peril in Old Paper.

Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer (CHPL) – Conservator, Lab Co-Manager

Resource links:

https://digital.cincinnatilibrary.org/digital/collection/p16998coll24/id/3540/rec/1

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/Five-things-to-know-about-diamond-sutra-worlds-oldest-dated-printed-book-180959052/

https://cool.culturalheritage.org/byorg/abbey/an/an21/an21-4/an21-401.html

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/jainism/

Nineteenth Century Buddhist Religious Treatise

What is a Jain manuscript?

Vesalius in the news (plus a RTI cameo)

The Preservation Lab has enjoyed our involvement in the Vesalius lecture series and exhibits including preparing the loan agreements, leading and assisting with photographic documentation, and providing spectral and computational imaging to the Vesalius researchers and lecturers.

Some of this work made a guest appearance on the FoxNews 19 segment, starring Dr. Stephen Joffe, on the three rare books that had been on view in December in the Winkler Center.

To view the full news segment visit this website.

Te learn more about upcoming lectures visit this website,

Holly Prochaska (UCL) —- Preservation Librarian

An Oversized Enclosure that “Slays”

Winter is approaching here in Cincinnati, far too quickly for my taste! But at the Lab we have been thinking about a winter staple a bit differently… The sled! A book sled, that is. This open-topped carrier of bound treasures has become the newest edition to our enclosure family. It is perfect for housing oversized books to be stored flat, as it enables easy transport of these large tomes, without adding too much extra weight.

The sled has been honed and developed over the years by conservation professionals, but it has its roots at the Newberry in Chicago, where they were used to house their large antiphonary collection. I had the privilege of working at the Newberry prior to joining the incredible team here at The Preservation Lab, so the idea of starting to create book sleds at the Lab has been lurking at the back of my mind. At the Newberry, I was able to create my very first book sled, and understand the simple, yet highly functional structure.

Photo of a sled at the Newberry Library courtesy of Henry Harris.

The book sled was refined by Ann Lindsey and Melina Avery from the University of Chicago when they treated and housed a 52-pound antiphonary from their collection. They were able to design a sled with additional walls and stronger reinforcements. Chris Saclolo from the University of Central Florida further enhanced the book sled by adding wall reinforcements and a removable lower tray.

When the Lab received an elephant folio from the University of Cincinnati Classic’s Library that needed treatment and housing, we were able to create the very first book sled at our Lab! Housing a book over 20 inches tall is no easy feat, so we were thrilled to be able to use the experience and advice from our fellow conservation professionals. I worked alongside Chris Voynovich and Catarina Figueirinhas (because 3 minds are so much better than 1) where we problem solved, planned, and constructed this large book sled. The finished sled design closely follows Saclolo’s recommendations, with minor adjustments to the tray, as our book did not have bosses.

Kasie and Chris working together to construct the book sled.

Ultimately, the book sled will allow the book, Facsimiles of National Manuscripts of Ireland, to be visible on the shelf while also aiding in transporting the book through the library when needed. It will also prevent additional damage and abrasion to the leather at the spine, which received a reback during treatment.

*Facsimiles of National Manuscripts of Ireland* in the finished book sled.

We already have additional oversized books in the Lab for treatment, so more sleds will be on the docket this winter!

Kasie Janssen (CHPL) – Senior Conservation Technician

Illustrated Human Opening Reception – 11/16

Please join us for the second lecture in the six-part series – “Making the Fabrica: The Illustrations, Printing, Binding & Publication.” Award-winning cultural historian Dániel Margócsy, PhD, University of Cambridge, will describe the creation of the “Fabrica.” Dr. Margócsy will be joined by Gabrielle Fox, a Cincinnati book binding and preservation expert, who will discuss the bindings of the first and second editions that will be on public display in the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library.

The lecture, free and open to the public, will be held Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium, 231 Albert Sabin Way. In-person activities will be provided under CDC guidelines or local COVID-19 restrictions, with the well-being of all guests remaining the top priority. View UC’s current COVID-19 updates.  For those not wishing to attend in person, the lectures will be live streamed via Zoom.

Preservation Horrors – A Frightening Week on Instagram

Tune into the Lab’s Instagram the entire week before Halloween, where we’ll be sharing five of the scariest “preservation horrors” that we encounter in our work. It’s bound to be a fun but frightening week that you won’t want to miss!

A very special thank you to our model, Aja Hickman, who also happened to have the wonderful idea for this event!

Jessica Ebert [UCL] – Sr. Conservation & Photographic Documentation Specialist

Instagram Live Event – 10/20 at 3pm (EST)

Join the Preservation Lab staff on Wednesday, October 20th at 3pm (EST) for an quick Instagram Live event centered around a collection of Japanese bindings that were recently conserved and are now in the process of receiving specialized, custom enclosures. We’ll be talking about the two different types of bindings in the collection, creating Japanese four-sided enclosures, why we make models, and answering any questions you might have!

Mark your calendars, or better yet, follow us on Instagram @thepreservationlab for updates, because you won’t want to miss this behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in the Lab. See you then!

You can now view the live event on the Preservation Lab’s IGTV.

Jessica Ebert [UCL] – Sr. Conservation & Photographic Documentation Specialist

Fun with PhotoDoc: Collaborative RTI (Edition 12)

One of the exciting things about the Preservation Lab is you never know what’s going to come into the Lab next! Sure, sometimes we know a little bit ahead of time about upcoming projects, but usually the special collections intake meetings are filled with “oohh’s”, “aahh’s” and sometimes “oh no’s”. But it’s not very often that you get to work on a project, here in Cincinnati, while the objects themselves are across the Atlantic. Combine that with RTI (Reflectance Transformation Imaging), a variety of Vesalius related texts, and an opportunity to collaborate with other photographers, and you’ve got a recipe for one exciting project!

Currently in the planning stages, the Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions will host a series of Cecil Striker lectures and a physical exhibition that will celebrate the work of Andreas Vesalius. The series and exhibition is entitled The Illustrated Human: the Impact of Andreas Vesalius and is sponsored by Stephen and Sandra Joffe. Vesalius was a renowned 16^th century author and physician, whose iconic work on human anatomy, De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem, is considered one of the most influential anatomy books ever written. Three rare first edition Vesalius volumes will be exhibited during this upcoming lecture series, gratuitously on loan from Stephen and Sandra Joffe. Dr. Joffe is a long-time UC supporter and an emeritus faculty member.

For the upcoming exhibit, the Lab will be creating custom supports, as needed, to display the volumes, and providing imaging of various pages and illustrations for promotion. I will also be doing any additional specialized imaging that might be helpful.

Since we believe that some, if not all three bindings coming to Cincinnati, might be original to the volumes, and we immediately thought of RTI and wondered if it could provide new insights to researchers. After seeing the wonders of RTI, via RTI examples from the Lab, the owners of the Vesalius editions were interested in having RTI done on a selection of Vesalius items in their collection, including some that wouldn’t be coming to the Lab. The only hitch? The volumes are at their home in Scotland. The solution: hire a local photographer, Iain McLean, to carry out the capture portion of the RTI in Scotland, and have the files shared with the Lab for processing and rendering. Though Iain is an established commercial photographer with a digital imaging background, RTI was a new adventure for him, so I shared some resources with him, including CHI’s Guide to Highlight Image Capture and some notes and resources created by the Lab during our various capture sessions. Iain and I then met via Zoom in mid- August to discuss the ins and outs of RTI highlight capture prior to his capture session on August 20^th. Iain also brought his colleague and fellow photographer, John Linton, into the fold to assist him during the capture session, which I recommended highly because though it might be possible to do RTI solo, I can’t imagine a capture session without my normal collaborator and the Lab’s Assistant Conservator, Catarina Figueirinhas. The session would take double the time and I’d make five times the mistakes without Cat! (Check out a time lapse video of Cat and I doing RTI in the Lab on our YouTube channel).

Image of Iain and John carrying out the RTI capture session in Dunderave castle. — Iain and John during the capture session, featuring one of my favorite volumes that they captured that day. (This image was taken by Iain and kindly shared with me.)

After a successful test capture session, Iain and John were ready for the main capture session on August 20^th. They ended up capturing the front and back covers of seven volumes. Once the massive capture session was completed, Iain shared the jpegs with me so that I could begin processing the images in RTI Builder and then rendering the snapshots in RTI Viewer.

This is a time lapse video of the capture session. (This video was created by Iain and kindly shared with me.)

After processing the 679 images and rendering the snapshots, here are some of my favorite finds:

This is a composite of two RTI generated images. The left shows the default mode, and the right specular enhancement. — This a side-by-side of an upper cover. The left image shows the default lighting mode in RTI Viewer and the right show the specular enhancement mode. On the right, just above the center panel, you can see the letters GFV (above the panel) and 1567 (below the panel), which are much more visible with the specular enhancement mode than under normal illumination.

This is a composite of three RTI generated images. The left is the default mode, the center is Normals Visual mode and the right is specular enhancement mode. — Here you can see a detailed composite of another cover’s center panel. On the left is the default/normal illumination mode, the center shows the normals visualization mode, and the right is the specular enhancement mode. You can see by employing the two specialized RTI modes the ornate detail of the cover is far more readable.

This is a composite of two RTI generated images, diffuse gain mode and default mode. — This composite of the upper cover features the diffuse gain mode on the upper left half, and the default lighting mode on the lower left half. The diffuse gain mode really accentuates the features of the man in the center panel.

This is a composite of two RTI generated images, default mode and specular enhancement mode. — This composite of the upper cover features the diffuse gain mode on the upper left half, and the default lighting mode on the lower left half. The diffuse gain mode really accentuates the features of the man in the center panel.

This is a composite of two RTI generated images, default mode on the left and specular enhancement mode on the right. — This composite of another upper cover shows the default mode on the left and the specular enhancement mode on the right. With this one, the discoloration of the cover distracts the eye and pulls it away from the detail of the decoration, but with the specular enhancement mode you can eliminate the color completely and modify the secularity so that your eye can focus solely on the elaborate detail.

This was such a fun experience for me, and I really enjoyed collaborating with colleagues outside the conservation field and across the pond! And I look forward to the condition photography of the three volumes and any additional specialized photography that might be helpful.

Special thank you to Stephen and Sandra Joffe for allowing their important collection items to be photographed, and for giving the Lab full permission to use the generated images. Also, a very special thanks to photographers Iain McLean and John Linton for capturing these covers and for collaborating with me on this exciting project.

Jessica Ebert [UCL] – Sr. Conservation & Photographic Documentation Specialist

Goodbye to a wonderful advocate

Today the Preservation Lab says goodbye and thanks to our fearless leader (on the UC-side of the shop) Dan Gottlieb, Associate Dean of Collections and Scholarly Resources. Dan has been with University of Cincinnati Libraries for 48 years and has been our advocate since 2018. His contributions are many as a leader, but as a colleague we’ve always appreciated he thoughtfulness, willingness to lend a hand, and always showing up to our events. We wish you a wonderful retirement Dan!

Holly Prochaska (UCL) — Preservation Librarian

Exposition Coins – New Acquisitions and New Exhibition Projects

The Lab recently received a collection of Exposition coins and an Exposition advert that were new acquisitions from UC Libraries’ Engineering Library.

While Ashleigh and Chris took on the housing portion of the project, I, of course, took on the documentation portion. This is one of the few times where scanning the object was actually the best route to take for documentation. I ended up scanning these after they had been safely and fully encapsulated in polyester film, and I was pretty pleased with how these scans turned out. Here are five of the exposition coins (rectos in left column and versos in right column):

These five coins were all encapsulated together with a Vivak backing layer and a 3 mil polyester film top layer, and then spot welded in place. I scanned them at 2400 dpi and then cropped each coin individually. And remarkably, this led to pretty successful scans of each coin while also keeping them safe and secure in the encapsulated package.

You can see how Chris and Ashleigh encapsulated and matted the coins on our Instagram –

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Jessica Ebert (UCL) – Conservation Tech & Photographic Documentation Specialist