An alternate title to this blog could be, “That time we X-rayed medieval choir book at the UC Medical Center, and then the pandemic happened I forgot to write a blog post about it”. Oops!
Let’s rewind the story back to mid-2019, when our Associate Conservator, Ashleigh, expressed interest in radiography on a beautiful, oversized choir book from the Classics Library. I, at the time, was the Photographic Documentation Specialist and had never carried out or assisted with any radiography projects, so I was very keen to start reaching out to anyone I could think of on West and East campus who might have access to such equipment. The most logical answer, UC Health, proved to be the winning one when finally the Director of Diagnostic Radiology put me in contact with the Enterprise Director of Imaging, who said yes to my request, and ultimately put me in contact with my main contact for the project, the Radiology Manager at UC Medical Center.
The date was set, October 22, 2019. Ashleigh, Holly and I packed up the heavy, choir book and carefully transported it from West campus to East campus to be imaged. The UC Health staff were beyond friendly, and I think they got a kick out of imaging the oversized leather volume. The technician really worked with us to adjust the intensity of the radiography depending on what we were trying to capture, whether it was the cover, the sewing and the supports, or the illuminated text (which was a little harder to capture with their equipment).
Aligning the bookViewing the first imagesPositioning the coverThe technician position the equipment for the optimal scanAttempting to image the illuminated textRepositioning the volumeImaging the spineRepositioning the volume to image spine
Overall, we discovered…a lot of nails, split thong supports, and on the lower board, four mends to the wooden board that appear to be bracing a split in the wood that is running vertically.
Detail of lower board with cover openDetail of lower board with cover open
The larger red arrows indicate metal braces while the smaller red arrows indicate the crack in the wooden board.
Image of the spine which allows you to see the split thong supports and you can even see the tattle-tape security strip!
Then following the radiography session, they were kind enough to ask if we would also like to place the volume in the CT scanner. Since the scanner could easily and safely accommodate the volume while keeping it wrapped in foam, we jumped at the chance!
We received all the imaging files on two CDs from UC Health, and then I went about making heads and tails of it. The radiography images were fairly straightforward. For the most impactful imaging, namely of the spine, upper and lower boards, I created composite images using the panorama feature in Photoshop to merge the images. For example, each cover consisted of four separate images.
With the CT imaging, the CD came with a reviewer software (Sorna) to view the files. Frankly, the CT scans were a little bit harder to comprehend, but nonetheless interesting. Ultimately the CT scanner allows you to view the various materials within the object. Whereas normally for the equipment that was used that would mean bones, organs and tissues, for the choir book that meant metal material like brass, leather, ink and pigment. Within the viewer function there was also an interactive component to the CT data as well, which allowed you to manipulate various levels to see various intensities, but even after a lot of trail and error and experimentation I found it very confusing, though I did get some interesting, and some less impactful, results. Let’s just say, I do not have a future as a CT technician! I’ll stick to my day job.
These days, nanocellulose can be found in everyday products, like compostable plastic-like bags; however, the use of nanocellulose is still in its infancy in terms of research and use in art conservation. (For example, these decomposable poop bags look like plastic bags, but can actually be tossed in your compost pile!)
Introduction
This post takes a look at how nanocellulose films might be used in art conservation. To dip our toes in, experiments at the Cincinnati Art Museum were performed with a group of conservators who work in different specialties: textiles, objects, fine art, photographs and bound materials. We tried out various types of nanocellulose films and how they might be applied to a range of materials.
Laura shows the high degree of translucency of the crystalline films she made in Indianapolis at a prior workshop
Cecile examines repairs on a war bond poster
Obie tests film on a textile
What is Nanocellulose?
Nanocellulose is made up of nanoscale cellulose particles that come from different sources, like:
Wood: The most common source
Non-Wood Plants: Cotton, ramie, sisal, bamboo, and agricultural by-products. The decomposable poop bags mentioned above are made from corn starch nanoparticles!
Tunicates: Marine invertebrates, the only animals known to produce cellulose microfibrils.
Algae: Some species produce cellulose microfibrils within their cell walls.
Bacteria: Certain bacteria, like Gluconacetobacter xylinus, can produce cellulose microfibrils under the right conditions.
Types of Nanocellulose:
In conservation, the field has been experimenting with two main types:
Microfibrillated Cellulose (MFC): A mix of cellulose microfibrils from pre-delignified cellulosic materials. This type of nanocellulose appears cloudy once dispersed into a film format.
MFC films are slightly cloudy
2. Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNC): Composed solely of the crystalline part of cellulose, exhibiting high crystallinity and a high aspect ratio. This type of nanocellulose appears clear in a cast film.
CNC films are more translucent
Where to Buy
Many labs and companies around the world make nanocellulose products like gels, nanopapers, and foams. Here are a few:
Europe: Technical Center of Paper (CTP, France), EMPA (Switzerland), Weidmann Fiber Technology (Switzerland), Aalto University (Finland), VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, KTH (Sweden)
North America: The University of Maine (USA), Forest Products Lab, Wisconsin (USA), American Process Inc., Atlanta (USA), Celluforce (Quebec), Kruger Inc. (Quebec)
Asia: University of Tokyo, University of Kyoto, Asahi Kasei
What We Bought
In Cincinnati, we experimented with two products purchased from Weidmann Fiber Technology in Switzerland:
Celova for Art Conservation, 500g Gel: According to the Weidman Fiber Technology website, the gel has a high degree of fibrillation and is recommended for technical applications like art conservation.
During practical applications, the MFC powder did not react the same way as the gel during the film creation. The powder precipitated out and did not cast a homogeneous film.
Cecile’s initial tests with Solka-Floc Powdered Cellulose from Solvaira Specialties. It is a very fine, highly purified cellulose powder made from bleached wood pulp.
While it may have been a mistake in our method of production, my guess is the powder isn’t as well fibrillated for casting and wonder if that’s why it stayed out of solution.
High Purity and Stability: They’re almost pure cellulose, super stable, and have a neutral pH. They’re less affected by temperature and humidity than regular paper.
Strong Yet Delicate: Mechanically, they’re stronger than traditional paper in some ways but less elastic and easier to tear.
Remarkable Transparency: The nanoscale dimensions of the fibers eliminate light scattering, resulting in highly transparent films, often called “nanopapers.” The transparency is influenced by the film’s structural density, particle size (MFC or CNC), the source material, and the manufacturing process. In practice, this transparency reminded me of the appearance of glassine tape.
How are nanocellulose films made?
There are various ways to make nanocellulose films, but conservators use one main method (as the others are found in larger scale manufacturing processes).
Casting Film by Evaporation: A low-cost and easily reproducible method where a nanocellulose solution is cast onto a substrate like a silicone mold or a polystyrene petri dish, allowing the solvent to evaporate. This technique produces homogeneous films.
Interestingly, it took an extraordinary amount of time for the solvents to evaporate at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Even after placing the trays in a fume hood to encourage drying, it took many days for the films to form during a low RH in December!
Glass and polyester dishes are not recommended for casting onto as the films will not release from these containers.
What are nanocomposite films?
Simply put, nanocellulose is combined with an adhesive. During the film’s creation, the adhesive is added into the nanocellulose solution to enhance the film’s physical and optical properties. Common conservation adhesives added to films include Klucel G, wheat starch paste, methyl cellulose, and gelatin.
In our experiments, we used 5% Klucel G, 4% Methocel A4CP, and strained Zen Shofu wheat starch paste. Two batches were made of varying amounts of gel to see if there was a difference in thickness of the films (spoiler: I couldn’t tell a noticeable difference!).
For another batch, Cecile also added in some QoR Golden watercolors that have an aquazol-based binder for a bit of a brown-toned tint that might be handy for filling losses in photograph conservation.
Nanocomposite films created with 20ml of MFC gel with 5% Klucel G and 5% methocel added
Nanocomposite films created with 15ml of MFC gel with 5% Klucel G and 5% methocel added
Nanocomposite film with QoR raw umber and 25% Methocel
Applications of nanocellulose films in art conservation:
Nanocellulose film properties may be handy for use in art conservation for their:
High transparency and stability. Used as a repair material, the films blend into substrates and supporting fragile artifacts.
Compatibility with various adhesives
Minimal discoloration after aging ensures long-term stability and visual integrity of treated artworks.
Reversibility. They can be safely removed if needed.
Limitations to using nanocellulose films in conservation:
While promising, there are some downsides to consider:
Lower tear strength compared to traditional paper. The films are delicate and might not work for items that need to withstand a lot of use.
Water Sensitivity: the films are highly reactive to moisture and require different application repair techniques than traditional paper repairs. For me, I wondered if the amount of time required for the learning curve of successful application was worth the result over traditional paper repairs.
Long-term behavior of nanocomposite films and their interaction with art materials requires further research to ensure compatibility and prevent unintended consequences.
Testing the Films on Paper-Based Materials
Both pure nanocellulose films and nanocomposite films were tested on a non-collection items using a variety of techniques.
Pure films were applied with a range of adhesives while nanocomposite films were adhered either by remoistening/reactivating with solvents or adhered by applying additional adhesive to the film, in addition to what was mixed in during the casting.
While Cecile worked on a war bond poster, Obie worked on a garment, and Laura tested treatment on an ink jet print, I tried my luck on a map.
Together, we all tested a scrapbook owned by Kelly.
First applications on a dark and brittle substrate surprisingly reminded us of the appearance of glassine tape in specular light!After multiple tries, Cecile impressed me with her application in the red “u” that blends in better than in the black and yellow regions on the war bond poster
My Successful Applications
I had best luck with the nanocomposite films but only when they were reactivated with the adhesive they were made with.
I used a map for a variety of tests on one item to compare results
For example, the 20 ml 0.2% MFC gel created with 0.6 g 5% methocel film blended beautifully into the paper when reactivated with 5% methocel. The methocel was brush applied thickly. See the repair below along the left side in specular light. It doesn’t even look like tape here! The repairs blend nicely. Between the two, I found the methocel nanocomposite film blended better than the wheat starch paste.
Repair on far left: Nanocomposite film made with 5% methocel was reactivated with brush application of 5% methocel.
My second favorite options were the pure MFC films adhered with methocel and wheat starch paste.
My Application Failures
I could not for the life of me find a way to successfully apply the nanocomposite film with Klucel G to a paper substrate without it falling apart during the process. Cecile had better luck while for me, it stuck to everything! I struggled both when it was reactivated with ethanol and when the film was brushed with the Klucel G solution. Plus, it was super shiny and didn’t help the paper lie flat.
Shiny repair on far left: Nanocomposite film made with 5% Klucel G was reactivated with dip in ethanol
I had even worse luck with the nanocomposite films when they were only reactivated with water. I could easily apply them to the paper, however, these performed the worst out of all the repairs, with the methocel nanocomposite film failing to even hold the tear together! See the two center repairs below in specular light. The wheat starch paste held, but didn’t want to hold the tear well aligned.
Failed repair in center: nanocomposite film with 5% methocel reactivated with water before adhering
Compared to kozo tissue repairs (on the same paper): the nanocellulose repairs overall were shinier (more akin to glassine tape in appearance!), but they didn’t seem to cause any planar distortions like the kozo tissue naturally wants to do. However, the kozo tissue blends visually into the paper better. The kozo tissue repairs are the ones with the tails sticking off the edge of the paper.
Repair on left: nanocomposite film made with 5% methocel applied with 5% methocel almost has a glassine tape-like appearance. Repairs on right with tails sticking off paper: traditional kozo paper repairs adhered with wheat starch paste
Conclusion:
Nanocellulose films offer promising potential for art conservation but require a learning curve to handle and apply. Their unique properties, combined with ongoing research and development, could lead to innovative solutions for preserving cultural heritage, but research on long-term stability, compatibility with specific artwork materials, and ethical considerations will be crucial for wider adoption in the field.
Health and Safety:
Pure nanocellulose gels and films are generally considered safe to handle.
Resources
Most of the info here comes from resources shared by paper conservator, Cecile Mear who organized our informal experimentations. Photograph Conservator, Laura Moeller also provided additional resources she gathered from a workshop held at the Indiana Historical Society in June 2019.
bpga36-20.pdf Detailed introduction to nanocellulose films use in conservation
Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio are on display at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra March 1st and 2nd as part of a musical program honoring Oliver Messiaen who was both a major composer of the 20th century and an ornithologist.
Synesthesia
Oliver Messiaen is well known for studying bird songs and interpreting their notes into musical transcriptions. His works are also unique in that Messiaen experienced synesthesia which greatly influenced his creations. Synesthesia is when a person perceives more than one sense at a time, such as Messiaen who experienced colors when listening to music and was able to see sounds.
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Program
The program at the CSO honors Messiaen by incorporating both music, color, and bird visuals to invite the audience to experience a unique multi-sensory experience. Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles (“From the Canyons to the Stars”) will be performed by the conductor, Matthias Pintscher, and pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard.
Click the image for a link to the digital program for the CSO Proof: From the Canyons to the Stars
“Inspired by his visits to Utah’s Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles (“From the Canyons to the Stars”) depicts the birdsong and red rock hues he experienced during his time in the desert… Accompanied by immersive video-art, Springer Auditorium will be transformed, allowing listeners to escape into the southwestern landscape and experience a synesthesia of their own.” – As described by the CSO website
Nests and Eggs
Complementing the musical performances, on display will be a page from Cincinnati and Hamilton County’s Illustrations of the nests and eggs. The page showcases a local Ohio native, the Wood Thrush, who lays bright blue colored eggs within a nest made of old leaves, dried grasses and moss (rarely sticks). The nest of the Wood Thrush also contains “rootlets” placed intentionally inside of the nest, resulting in a pinkish brown or black lining. The nest is “plastered” with a thin mud that is easily missed as it’s thoroughly worked in and covered.
Nests and Eggs, while lesser known than Audubon’s Birds of America, is quite extraordinary in how it highlights the uniqueness of the construction of nests made by different bird species. Take for instance, the Baltimore Oriole’s nest, which primarily consists of strings and flax fibers to create a soft and long pocket. Compare that to the more traditional nest of the Wood Thrush whose home is bowl-shaped with a wide opening.
Baltimore Oriole – Plate 1
Wood Thrush – Plate II
It’s also extraordinary that the illustrations are detailed lithographic portraits created by Gabrielle Estelle Jones and her family, despite not having been formally trained. Their work was intended to be used as a companion volume to John James Audubon’s Birds of America. While not as large as the Birds of America double elephant folios, Eggs and Nests is still an impressively large-sized volume.
Gabrielle “Gennie” Estelle Jones
The following excerpt was written by Sara Williams, Arts & Special Collections Reference Librarian:
Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio was a project begun by Genevieve Estelle Jones, a native of Circleville, Ohio. Born May 13, 1847, Genevieve, or Gennie, spent much time as a young girl birdwatching in the woods and wetlands with her father, an amateur ornithologist. Just before the age of 30, Jones’ father forbade her from marrying the man she loved, and in 1876, she visited the Centennial World’s Fair in Philadelphia to take her mind off her broken heart. While there, she viewed hand-colored engravings from John James Audubon’s vibrant The Birds of America. Inspired by Audubon’s example, Jones set out to illustrate the nests and eggs of birds, an aspect often missing from his work. Jones completed only five illustrations for her book before she died of typhoid at the age of 32. The work was eventually completed by Genevieve Jones’ family. Only 90 copies of the book were published, of which only 34 are currently known to exist.
Preservation
As part of the Preservation Lab’s role in displaying the object, a condition report book was created to accompany the item to ensure the object’s condition is preserved. This helps those who are installing anticipate any possible challenges in supporting fragile pages or bindings. In this case, the upper endsheets are extremely brittle and have been previously repaired, but could break again if not carefully draped and held with polyester strapping in a safe manner.
After determining a proper exhibit case to fit and secure the binding, a custom cradle was made. To protect weak points of the binding on display, a support was constructed out of 8 ply museum mat board to support the heavy and oversized pages from stress along the joint.
Solutions were tested to fit within an 18 inch deep case, however, the book was just too large!
A custom 8 ply mat board cradle was created to fit within a more appropriate 4 ft case. Pages are strapped with polyester strapping
Before an object travels, it’s often reviewed to make sure it can handle transport and treated if necessary. Luckily, in this case, the binding was treated in 2016 and is still in great condition for its age. When it received treatment, at that time it received a lightweight yet strong enclosure that will also work well to safely protect the item for travel to the CSO.
Corrugated banker’s box with a drop spine houses the Nests and Eggs book. Binding and exhibit labels are ready for packing.
A 4-foot case was kindly loaned to the CSO from the Behringer-Crawford Museum and is ready for use! (Image credit: Amber Ostaszewski)
Entrance to the Founder’s Room
Bird sounds were played in the entryway
During staging of the exhibit
Nests and eggs on display in the Founder’s Room
The Founder’s Room
Night of the performance
Entering the theatre
Not visible are the camping chairs and fire pits in the orchestra pit
Additional Resources
Interested in seeing more Nests and Eggs? The entire binding is conserved and digitized where it is made publicly available online. More information about Gennie’s fascinating and tragic history can be read at the Linda Hall website.
CSO Program Dates
There are two programs where you can view the item on display, Friday, March 1st and Saturday, March 2nd, both at 8pm at the Music Hall. Interested? Click here for the digital program.
We hope to see you there!
Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer [CHPL] – Book and Paper Conservator, Co-Lab Manager
To celebrate the upcoming festival of Passover, please join Hebrew Union College and the Preservation Lab for a virtual presentation about the treatment of one of the earliest printed illustrated Haggadot in the rare book collection of the Klau Library.
View of broken sewing and poorly aging repairs before treatment
Overall view of leather binding before treatment
Dr. Jordan Finkin, Rare Book and Manuscript Librarian and Co-Director at Hebrew Union College Press will kick off the talk with a discussion about the significance and history of the Haggadah in the greater context of Haggadot Jewish book printing.
Ashleigh N. Ferguson Schieszer, Rare Book and Paper Conservator, will follow by describing the intricate process required to restore the binding and its contents. In this session, Ashleigh will discuss how she met the challenges facing her with this amazing historical work to reverse earlier poorly-done repairs. These treatments were conducted over several years, and included preservation of handwritten songs later added to the Klau’s copy.
Please join us at 11 am on April 10th, 2023 for the hour-long session by registering for the event here.
Check out the recorded session, now available on the HUC-JIR YouTube channel here.
This project was funded by the generous donations of Dr. Valerie Hotchkiss and Dr. David Price.
We’re excited to announce that the Madisonville branch is in its final stages to re-open their newly renovated space! Please join the library for the opening eventMarch 18th! At the event, the Genealogy and Local History Department staff member, Chris Smith will talk about Madisonville’s history from 3:30 pm – 4 pm.
During the event, the Madisonville scrapbook will be on view for festivities March 18th.
Because this material is HUGE and considered a rare irreplaceable item, both the book and cradle were hand delivered from one building to another by Preservation Lab and Madisonville staff. Below are “behind the scenes” images showing the delivery of these oversized materials.
View of book in its prior home location, recently cleared of books:
Scrapbook & cradle in room empty of booksCradle in prior locationScrapbook coverB
For transport, the oversized book was stored in a lightweight (but strong!) custom enclosure:
Two flaps of foam were first sandwiched under a flap of boardChris Voynovich closes all flapsFlaps were secured with integrated cloth ties
The custom enclosure consists of multiple light-weight layers and flaps of foam, all tied together with cotton ties, as shown in Chris’ schematic. This enclosure will be used both for transport and for long-term storage.
Once packaged, both the book and cradle were hand delivered to their new home next door:
Cradle hand delivered next door by Terry Barnum and Chris VoynovichBottom view of cradleBook strapped to dollyBook is oriented spine edge down for safe transport
The book now awaits the re-opening event while staff continue unpacking the rest of collections!
Boxes being unpacked in new spaceChildren’s area is coming together!
We hope to see you there!
Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer [CHPL] – Rare book and paper conservator
To read about the conservation of the scrapbook and construction of the book’s cradle, please see the treatment documentation and a prior blog article titled, Madisonville Scrapbook.
As a bonus, to celebrate the completion of the oversized treatment, Chris created a comic you can fold from an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. Check out the printable file below! Instructions on how to fold can be found on the Preservation Lab’s YouTube channel video titled Preserving Scrapbooks beginning at the 10:42 time stamp.
John Robinson’s circus was a famous, traveling, family-owned circus’ that toured the United States for 69 years beginning in 1842. The family business stopped touring around 1910 and was officially sold in 1916. It was managed by four generations, all named John Robinson.
As a local tidbit to note, the circus was stationed during the winters near Cincinnati, OH, where the family owners kept Tillie, the beloved elephant. Tillie was said to roam the neighborhood of Terrace Park and was well known in the community and beyond. Many stories were written of heroic accounts and even her ability to “talk”. She was memorialized when she passed in 1932 and a marker can be found at Circus Place in Terrace Park today.
Elephants being forced to perform in John Robinson’s 10 Big Shows. Image from the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
Cincinnati and Hamilton County Photographic Album
A rare photographic album owned by the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL) dates to the late 19th to early 20th century and contains albumen portraits of John Robinson’s circus performers. The images have been fully digitized after receiving treatment to improve legibility at the Preservation Lab. The CHPL Digital Library catalog describes the object as follows:
“Album of 266 photographs of varying sizes. Most are portraits of Robinson family members and of the circus staff and performers. Included are group portraits of the work crew, musicians, clowns, acrobats, novelty acts, and family acts, and circus animals. Many of the individual portraits are of side-show performers such as tattooed men, albinos, women with floor-length hair, dwarfs, etc. Some of these are studio shots that may have been sold or used as advertising. A small number have captions, and the few with dates are from 1901-1909.”
Inside of upper cover after treatment
Toned Images
While the content of the images is spellbinding, the album is also unique as many of the photographs appear to be once toned overall with pink, yellow, or orange colors.
An online reference from the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) Preprints in 1980 refers to historic albumen photographs that were dyed and are extremely light sensitive. In the article, James Reilly states, “A great deal of the paper sold during the 1880’s and 1890’s was “doubly albumenized”, i.e., floated twice to obtain maximum gloss. Another common practice was the addition of aniline dyes to the albumen solution. Tinted paper was mainly used for portraits, and the most popular tint appeared to be pink, but various shades of purple, blue and even green were also used. Because the dyes had such poor lightfastness–especially in such dilute solution–most of the dyed paper is difficult to recognize today.” It’s fun to imagine that these tinted papers might have been used to capture and celebrate the lives of circus performers in John Robinson’s 10 big shows.
Many of the colors in the photograph album have faded irregularly, with the pink being the most prominent color remaining. This colored photograph phenomenon does not appear to be widely documented elsewhere as the fugitive dyes were not light-fast. They may have also been susceptible to dark fading and chemical instability. Because these photos were preserved within pages in an album, it’s possible they’ve been protected from light and some of the more chemically stable images have not yet completely faded, allowing us a glimpse of this rare format.
While treatment cannot be performed to recolor the images, some photographs did receive conservation treatment to improve visual legibility. There were nearly 30 images that appeared to have a dark discoloration. These photographs were identified to be missing fragments of paper backings. As a result, the dark album pages behind the photographs were obscuring the visibility of the photographic emulsion layer. Some of the more badly damaged images were carefully lifted, relined and reattached. Others received general surface cleaning. A few examples of improved readability are below.
Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer (CHPL) – Special Collections Conservator
While there are many fine art applications, this book is used in the field of paper conservation when describing papers in an examination report. The reason for this is to establish a visual standard since descriptors can be quite subjective. Cream, beige and light brown to one person could be perceived as opposites to another. However, using this booklet, a large range of colors, textures and thicknesses are definitive and straightforward to select when comparing the samples to the object in person.
I first gained experience using the reference in graduate school and thought it could be a valuable resource for the Preservation Lab, especially for staff and students learning to examine objects for the first time. However, I was under the impression it was out of print because the booklet was created by the Print Council of America a few decades ago and contains a limited number of hand cut paper samples. With the lab’s newly found historic paper samples in mind, I emailed the Print Council Of America to seek permission to create a facsimile. Lo and behold, I was thrilled to learn the books were still for sale and no boot-legging necessary!
Ours arrived just this week and I’m excited to share the tri-fold booklet below! Paper colors are defined on the left, thicknesses outlined in the center, and textures displayed on the right.
How to use:
When describing a paper object (or text block) in the description section of the treatment report, I will now reference this booklet to describe the color, texture and thickness using this terminology. Colors include: Light blue, blued white (which looks gray to me!), bright white, white, cream (1), cream (2), cream (3), beige (2), and brown. There are seven types of thickness and nine types of textures to select for comparison ranging from very smooth to rough (3). The accompanying pamphlet has great information to further define the terms, including a measurement chart for the paper thickness (should you prefer using a micrometer), and provenance of all the sample papers.
Let’s use the booklet to describe a handwritten note by Abraham Lincoln from 1864, owned by the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library:
During treatment, the note is removed from the matting system
Before having my hands on the booklet, I would have described the object as follows: The manuscript is handwritten with brown iron gall ink on a light beige handmade laid paper. Comparing the object to the Print Council of America sample book, the manuscript could be better described as:
…a manuscript handwritten in brown iron gall ink on a cream (1)…
…a manuscript handwritten in brown iron gall ink on a cream (1), medium (2) thick…
… a manuscript handwritten in brown iron gall ink on a cream (1), medium (2) thick, smooth, handmade laid paper.
Much improved from my initial description that indicated the color was light beige!
When using this booklet as a reference for reports or surveys, at the bottom of the report, I’ll begin adding a footnote that says, “[1] All paper descriptions by comparison with Print Council of America’s Paper Sample Book (Roy Perkinson and Elizabeth Lunning, 1996). This will allow other conservators and practitioners familiar with the book to have a point of reference when reading my report, even on the other side of the country! In the future, this can also help in identifying shifts in paper tone caused by aging paper.
Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer – Lab Co-Manager, Rare Book and Paper Conservator
Yesterday we had the pleasure of a visit from Case Western Reserve University Library staff, Andrew Mancuso, Preservation Officer, and Naomi Langer, Digitization Technician.
They are currently winding up a whirl-wind month-long tour, traveling around the state to test a portable (and affordable!) multi-spectral imaging system as part of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
Andrew and Naomi unpack MISHA
Detailed setup instructions
This unique system is called MISHA, which stands for Multi-spectral Imaging System for the Humanities and Archives. The imaging system and software can be used to recover obscured and illegible text on historical documents, such as scraped-away writing:
Lost manuscript writing on a CHPL Book of Hours is a good candidate for multi-spectral imaging
If you’re familiar with multi-spectral imaging systems, you might be wondering, “How much is ‘cheap’?” Roughly, the entire system cost under $5,000 to create – with the monochrome camera and light boards making up the bulk of the price tag.
Monochrome camera fits in palm of hand
LED light boards built by RIT Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science
Copy stand consists of T-slot aluminum framing and black painted wood board base
As you can see, the black Coroplast, duct tape, felt, and binder clips make up a very small portion of the budget, however, they are instrumental for using the system in a room that cannot be fully darkened. We also observed that the lights were extremely bright, and the light shield made it easier on our eyes.
Felt is clipped with binder’s clips to keep out light
To test the portable system, Ohio institutions with medieval parchment documents from Otto Ege collections were asked if their manuscript leaves could be imaged on-site with this equipment. With the entire glamour shot studio fitting into a 40-pound rolling suitcase, Andrew and Naomi traveled to various cities from Cleveland to Cincinnati, making our photographic imaging dreams come true!
This tightly fitting suitcase has packing instructions to protect all the parts.
Since the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL) own multiple Ege collections and a variety of other worthy imaging candidates, the Preservation Lab was fortunate enough to participate. In the CHPL collection, manuscript 32 (of Fifty original leaves from medieval manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI century) was thought to be the most promising to reveal hidden information.
Naomi demos the imaging procedures to lab staff
Images are captured at 16 different wavelength bands ranging between 365 nm – 940 nm
A white MA CLP2036 99% reflectance disk is placed in every image to aid in image processing later
CHPL music manuscript is cradled for imaging by an adaptable book conservation support (ABCS)
Now that the photographic capture is complete, we’re looking forward to processing the images next with the open access software called Hoku, provided by the Rochester Cultural Heritage Imaging, Visualization, and Education (R-Chive) community.
We were thrilled to see how easy this equipment was to set up in person. And special thanks to Andrew who brought his handy adaptable book conservation support (ABCS) to cradle our bound collections. Everyone should have one!
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.
‘Our Standard’ ribbon used as a guide
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.
Before mountingAfter mounting
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.
After TreatmentAfter Treatment
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.
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 7th – 5th 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 14th 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.
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.
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) andGamma 453 where a loose manuscript is stored within a cloth cover:
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:
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:
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.
