This set of Japanese side-sewn, crepe paper bindings, or Chirimen-bon, came to the Preservation Lab housed in their damaged traditional Japanese wraparound case, known as a maru chitsu. The set belongs to the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, which has an extensive Lafcadio Hearn collection. This collection of volumes was printed by Hasegawa Takejirō, a Japanese publisher who specialized in books written in European languages on Japanese subjects. The Japanese Fairy Tale Series was one of the more popular series, beginning with six volumes in 1885; though this later collection only has five volumes of fairy tales. Lacadio Hearn was one of the foreign translators employed by T. Hasegawa.
Original enclosureFive volumes withing the original enclosure (pictured after treatment)
Due to the high profile nature of Lafcadio Hearn for the library and the beauty of the bindings, the collection is often shown during tours and used for display, however, the crepe paper volumes, while in excellent condition, are extremely floppy, and they are also side-sewn, both factors make them difficult to handle and display. The original enclosure is also very fragile and damaged, and susceptible to further damage if used as an enclosure moving forward. For all these reasons, the curators wanted an enclosure that would not only store the collection long-term, but could also be used for display.
This proved to be a challenge, but a fun one. I started by making a couple of sketches and then a couple of models…
Models – two types of collapsible cradles and one model of the display tray/stand
For the models, I had two main focuses: 1) a collapsible cradle that would house and display one of the volumes, and 2) a display component that would act as a tray or level within the enclosure and house the remaining four volumes, in two stacks of two, side by side.
I will always advocate for making a model if you are trying to work through a new enclosure or adjust an existing enclosure or display piece, like a cradle. For example, I knew that a normal collapsible cradle wasn’t going to fit the bill for these volumes. Instead, I was going to need a stiff, squared off spine piece built into the cradle to help support the bindings’ spines.
One of the main areas I had to troubleshoot was the display tray, which would house the four remaining volumes. I knew I wanted to create a stand that would basically replicate one side of a collapsible cradle and have a 1/2 inch Plastazote foam insert, which happened to nestle the thickness of two volumes perfectly, that was covered in Tyvek. But I had concerns about gravity and reliability of PVA to hold the foam insert in place overtime. And I wasn’t happy with my initial ideas of how to remove the volumes (and also the original enclosure and collapsible cradle) from the insert(s), which consisted of a tab underneath the volume. It created friction that would ultimately cause damage to the actual volumes.
Ultimately, I am extremely happy with what I came up with. I think it functions very well, and checks all the boxes it needed to check. Safe, secure storage. Elegant display. User-friendly.
Display stand openDisplay stand closed. A lip was added to support the foam insert overtimeDisplay stand closed with one set of volumes removedPolyester slings were created as a solution for removing items safely and easily from the enclosure
The display stand includes a cloth tape inserted into the boards to keep it from opening too far, a foam insert covered in Tyvek, a lip to support the foam insert overtime, and two polyester film slings to aid in removing the volumes from the foam insert. The polyester slings proved to be an excellent solution for removing all the elements from the enclosure safely and easily.
For those interested in how some of the components were constructed, here are some in-progress images…
Detail of the turn-in for the display stand lip; cut similarly to how we cut our clamshell enclosure tray turn-insDetail of the turn-in for the display stand lip; cut similarly to how we cut our clamshell enclosure tray turn-insFoam insert, vertical panels covered in Tyvek firstTyvek sheet cut in preparation for attaching to foamTyvek sheet cut in preparation for attaching to foamTyvek attached to the front of the foam pieceTyvek turn-ins cut
Because of the way the trays/components of the enclosure are constructed, they are actually interchangeable. So if the “lower tray” with the original enclosure and collapsible cradle ends up on top of the display tray/stand, that’s not an issue at all. And there is a 1/4 inch Volara foam piece adhered to the outer tray of the clamshell enclosure, so whatever items are on top will be cushioned by soft foam in the enclosure.
Get a full tour of the enclosure by watching our reel on Instagram:
When a collection of Egyptian mummy bandage fragments at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library was found in an area used to store uncatalogued flat materials, the lab was asked to play a role in providing better stewardship.
Discovered in the stacks: A mounted collection of six Egyptian textile fragments that date to the Ptolemaic Period (around 300-30 BCE), recto
Mummy bandage wrappings are rare finds in public libraries, and discovering that the materials where uncatalogued was not terribly surprising; having the specialized knowledge to catalog such a unique object may not have been available at the Public Library at the time of the acquisition. With no identifying marks, and mounted to an aged board, the provenance of these objects are unfortunately unknown.
Collection suffered from a lack of storage housing without identifying information, found by staff performing a collections inventory, verso
Concerned about their overall safety of the fragments, as they were attached to a brittle board that could potentially chip and break if mishandled, it was clear that a solution for long-storage was needed. Therefore, the items were brought to the lab for a comprehensive examination.
As a book and paper conservator with little knowledge of archeological textiles, the first step towards selecting a preservation solution was to better understand the fragments and conduct research on how to care for them. Because of the age and fragility of the items, my goal became to find a storage solution that could facilitate access while limiting handling of the actual objects themselves.
Examination
In order to conduct research, the condition of the individual fragments were fully examined with a variety of illumination techniques to better understand their composition. The collection was photographed with a DSLR camera in normal illumination, raking light, infrared, and ultraviolet fluorescence. The images revealed valuable information such as the possible types of adhesives used in mounting, the degree of linen loss, as well as the type of pigment applied to the linen.
Creating the photographic documentation also allowed me to reach out to other scholars, to inquire about their history, while providing high quality images.
Types of Photography Performed During Examination
Normal Illumination – General reference image
Raking Illumination – Shows losses in linen, brown paper linings, and breaks in board
Infrared Imaging – Reveals inscriptions hidden along stains
Ultraviolet Fluorescence – Exposes differing types of adhesives
Normal Illumination – Overall images were taken of both the front and back of the mounting board. Normal illumination images serve as general reference photographs, representing how we perceive the object in normal room lighting.
Raking Illumination – Reveals the surface topography, showing breaks, tears, and losses in both the linen fragments and the mounting board.
Infrared Imaging – A modified DSLR camera and specialized filters remove visible light and capture longer wavelengths than the human eye can see, revealing the carbon-based writing while allowing the stains to disappear, making the writing more legible.
Ultraviolet Radiation– Ultraviolet radiation produces a fluorescence that readily shows the two differing types of adhesives used to adhere the fragments onto the backings. The first adhesive used to adhere the fragments to a brown paper backing does not fluoresce, while an adhesive that is smeared onto the face of the backing board does fluoresce. This indicates that the fragments were adhered at different times to the two different substrates, first being adhered overall to a paper backing, then later mounted onto the board.
Research
Using the high-quality images described above, I reached out to experts in Egyptology and papyrology at the University of Cincinnati Classics Library and the University of Michigan to learn about the history of the objects. Right away, I was given extremely detailed information by generous colleagues.
One of the first surprising things I learned is that two of the fragments were oriented upside down. So in their mounted format, they were not properly represented. Perhaps even more exciting was the discovery that three fragments were able to be attributed to a priest named Wennofer! (There will be more about the history of the pieces in the second part of the series, stay tuned.)
Of Parts and Pieces
It was serendipitous that during my research one of the contacts I was put in touch with was Dr. Ann-Katrin Gill from the University of Leipzig. Dr. Gill happened to be in the midst of a larger project titled: Of parts and pieces: unearthing, reassembling, and documenting papyri and linen objects in US libraries. As you can imagine, she was thrilled to receive the treatment documentation of the Public Library’s fragments to add to the collection. We have hopes that should any other fragments belonging to these be discovered, perhaps they could become reunited.
Materiality
The Egyptian mummy bandage fragments, or cloth shrouds, are also referred to as archaeological linen textile fragments. I learned the following about the materiality of the fragments.
Inscriptions
Fragments contain either formal hieroglyphs (using pictorial characters) or cursive hieratic script (which is a later Egyptian shorthand writing system used by scribes). It was determined that the fragments likely date to the Ptolemaic Period (around 300-30 BCE) based on the writing style used during that time period.
Inscriptions are written in black ink with a reed or rush pen, referred to as rush ink. The ink appears to be typical of the time period, most likely carbon-based with a gum binder. The fragments when viewed though infrared imaging (see slide show above) shows the carbon in the ink absorbing infrared radiation, making the ink appear dark black in infrared images, while the organic staining drops out of the image .
20th Century Alterations
Lined with Brown Paper
At some point in the fragments’ history, the textiles were lined on the back in an acidic machine-made brown paper (reminiscent of brown craft paper tape). If you look carefully in the raking light image (see slide show above), you might notice the brown lining paper poking through losses in the textiles as a slightly darker shade of brown than the board support. Under UV fluorescence (see slide show above), the adhesive used in conjunction with the brown paper lining does not fluoresce. This adhesive was found to be readily water soluble and possibly a gum-based adhesive.
Trimmed Edges
You might notice the fragments are cut into odd shapes, likely they were trimmed to remove frayed ends and damaged parts. There’s no way to know if the fragments were trimmed before or after they were lined with the brown paper lining, however the edges are fairly consistent with one another. One could make the case they were trimmed at the same time.
Mounted to a Board
After lining, these fragments would have then been mounted to a board, with two identified as upside down (oops)! Faint patterns on the back of the paper board resemble off-setting from wood, likely caused by a wooden backing board in a frame. If these assumptions are correct, it’s my guess that the fragments were mounted then framed for the tourist trade, with the frame now lost.
Condition
Being mounted on an aged, unsupported, brittle board put the fragments at risk of breaking along with the board. Since the board already contained cracks and breaks along the edges, this concern felt urgent.
Despite the precarious storage and concerns surrounding the fragments being exposed to the elements, the textiles themselves appeared in fairly good condition for being over 2,000 years old! Viewing the fragments in raking light (see slide show above) reveals a considerable amount of linen loss throughout the textiles. However, it doesn’t appear that these losses were a recent incident in the past half century. The losses were likely present when the fragments were lined with brown paper backing.
Next Steps
Next steps were to prepare the objects for safe keeping in long-term storage. To do so, required research on possible treatment options to safely store the items in their proper orientations. Also, knowing that not all fragments belonged in context with each other was further justification to split the collection into separate parts. Read on for more discoveries in this preservation journey!
To learn more, check out the other three posts in the series. (Links will be made live as the installments are released.):
History – Historical information provided about the Egyptian inscriptions
Treatment – How the materials were treated after learning about their content
Storage Solutions – Individual solutions for separated fragments as well as storage as a collection
Acknowledgements
Katherine Davis, Lecturer in Egyptology in the Department of Middle East Studies at the University of Michigan
Suzanne Davis, the Associate Curator and Head of Conservation at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan
Dr. Ann-Katril Gill at the University of Leipzig
Marieka Kaye, Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation, Head, Conservation & Book Repair, University of Michigan Library
Obie Linn, Textile Conservator at the Cincinnati Art Museum
Ann Wuertemberger, Catalog Librarian at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
Meredith Montague, Textile Conservator at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer – Special Collections Conservator and Co-Lab Manager [CHPL]
One of my favorite aspects of working for the Preservation Lab is the problem solving required to reach our clients’ goals. Whether performing treatments, building housings, or installing displays, we frequently find ourselves thinking outside the box to come up with custom solutions to unique problems.
FotoFocus
The problem solving aspect of the job was in full force with a recent display request from Art and Special Collections Reference Librarian, Sara Williams, for CHPL’s (Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library’s) participation in FotoFocus 2024 this Fall.
For those unfamiliar, FotoFocus is a biennial “month-long celebration of photography and lens-based art that unites artists, curators, and educators from around the world” (as described by the FotoFocus website). This year’s event was FotoFocus’ seventh iteration and encompassed 107 projects at 86 participating venues across Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, and Northern Kentucky.
The Display Request
The theme for FotoFocus 2024 was Backstories, which focused on hidden stories within photographs that are not initially obvious. With this theme in mind, Sara Williams came up with the idea of highlighting stories hidden within one of CHPL’s most highly prized collection items: the 1848 Fontayne and Porter Panorama Daguerreotype. (For more information about this historic photograph, its preservation, and daguerreotypes in general, an earlier blog post I wrote on the subject can be foundhere.)
1848 Fontayne and Porter 8 full-plate panorama daguerreotype
To convey this idea, Sara requested that the exhibit contain surrogate images attached to the back of the display cases, with images popping out at varying degrees of depth, highlighting the idea that each subsequent image is zoomed in closer, just as the story within the images become more in-depth.
Constructing a Prototype
I am still relatively new to the world of conservation, and even newer to that of display installation. When confronted with a task I am unfamiliar with such as this request, I like to think about what needs to be achieved, and then brainstorm how it can be achieved practically using stock materials we have in the lab. I did not yet have the specs on the display cases or the sizes of the specific images, but Sara gave me several printed foam board images like what would be used in the display to run tests with. Most importantly, I knew the two following bits of information:
The display needed images attached to a cloth-covered wall within the display case.
The images needed the ability to be mounted at custom depths from the cloth-covered wall.
After some brainstorming with our head conservator, Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer, we decided to try using Vivak to “pop out” the images at various depths.
Vivak is a copolyester plastic that can be easily bent into various shapes, yet retains its shape once creased. It is also clear, making it useful for displays due to its ability to blend into backgrounds and not detract from the featured objects.
We also decided to use our cubicle walls as a test site until we could get our hands on the actual cases, since attaching a support mount to a cloth covered wall was a unique challenge for us.
First Prototype
First Vivak Support prototype
Attached to wall with two pins along top
I constructed the first prototype by creasing a small sheet of Vivak twice into a “J” shape. I poked two holes in the smaller lip of the “J” so that I could use pins to secure it to the cloth-covered wall, with the image adhered to the larger lip.
This was moderately successful. These would be easy to construct and the pins held the support’s weight. But I was concerned about the Vivak bowing under the weight of the images, especially for the ones that were to be at the furthest depth from the cloth-covered wall, as it was already wanting to sag without an attached image under its own weight.
Second Prototype
I made the second prototype into a “C” shape, so that there were two lips that could be pinned to the cloth-covered wall. My hope was that this would add more stability and reduce the potential sagging. This was certainly an improvement, but it still felt unstable, and I felt the Vivak pieces that needed to be longer still might sag.
Support with added base to combat sagging
“C” shape with added backing strip
I next added an additional support piece of Vivak along the back of this prototype so that the pins would penetrate it as well as the two lips, adding even more stability. This yielded the most favorable result so far, yet I felt like the process could be streamlined.
I wanted the “pop-outs” to be contained to one piece of Vivak, so for the final prototype so I extended the two lips of the “C” so that they overlapped each other making a square shape.
Final Prototype
Final prototype with overlapping Vivak strips
Attached to wall with Vivak folds at top and bottom – still showed propensity to sag
Attached to wall with folds along sides – this eliminated the tendency to sag!
The final prototype gave the stability of the second prototype but was easier to produce as only one piece of Vivak needed to be cut. After constructing this successful variation, I had the idea to rotate the “pop-out” 90 degrees so that the creased section of the Vivak would be vertical rather than horizontal, eliminating any tendency for it to sag from these creases outward.
Installation
Sara had also requested that both the cloth-covered wall and base of the display be covered in black velvet to give the display a cleaner look, as the existing cloth had seen better days. This was accomplished by removing the boards, cutting enough velvet so they could be wrapped and completely covered on its exposed side, and then secured on their hidden underside using a staple gun.
The case before modifications, during deconstruction
The walls and base of the case were recovered with black polyester velvet
The case reconstructed after recovering
I had initially planned on using large “T”-shaped pins to fix the “pop-outs” to the cloth-covered wall, as they were abundant in the lab, and I felt the length of them would yield a stronger hold. However, upon attempting to test the prototype on the actual display case, it was discovered that the wall I assumed was cloth-covered foam was cloth-covered wood. As the “T”-shaped pins were long and not very sturdy, they would be extremely difficult to hammer into the wood.
I ended up using small ½” brass escutcheon pins. They are low profile and would be relatively easy to hammer into cloth-covered wood. I punctured 4 pilot holes through the overlapping “C” lips so the pins could hold the Vivak together, and then individual pins were hammered through the holes into the cloth-covered wood.
Long T-pins compared to the shorter escutcheon pins
The shorter pins were the perfect length to nail into the thin display case wall
Once the velvet was installed and the “pop-outs” were secured to the freshly velvet-covered boards, the images could be adhered directly to the Vivak using double stick tape, as they were surrogate images printed onto foam board.
Nailing the Vivak support to the display case wall
3M 415 double stick tape was used to adhere the surrogate images to the Vivak supports
The Display During Installation
Once the cases were modified with the black velvet polyester and the Vivak supports were nailed into place, the bases were ready for Sara to add additional components underneath.
View at an angle showing the varying depths of field
Three cases ready for final touches by Sara Williams
After Installation
The completed display, entitled Depth of Field: The Universe of the Daguerreotypewent live on September 24, and was located on the 2nd floor of the South building at the Downtown Main branch of CHPL through November 1st. Sara Williams curated a wonderful series of images, featuring supplemental newspaper articles, city directories, images shot through a microscopic lens, and more to highlight both the scientific and human stories that are contained within this iconic Daguerreotype.
Captions describe:
The astonishing achievement of how the photographic images were captured outdoors when normally, daguerreotypes are produced indoors to control the complicated process.
How moisture and dust caused deterioration specks which are shown under 100x magnification and routinely monitored.
The panorama’s unique anoxic custom enclosure, where the absence of oxygen prevents further degradation.
Although the display is no longer viewable, its primary subject still is. The 1848 Fontayne and Porter Panorama Daguerreotype can currently be viewed in the Cincinnati Room of CHPL’s Downtown Main branch along with other fantastic displays curated by Sara. Be sure to check them out and be on the lookout for the return of FotoFocus in 2026!
View of the exhibit after installation next to the Story Center
With Halloween creeping up, it’s either a chance for you to unleash your spooky side or to totally panic and obsess over costumes until the last second. Ghost? Meh. Mummy? Boring. Werewolf? Too hairy. But if you work in a conservation lab, fear not. We have you covered!
This year, we’ve scoured the lab to create costumes that mix chilling creativity with eccentric conservation tools! Each costume has a difficulty rating, so you’ll know if it takes professional skill or just a wildly spooky imagination.
So, grab some supplies, get haunting, and remember: Conservation may be reversible, but goofy Halloween memories are forever!
Edward Scissorhands Difficulty level – Easy Materials and tools needed:
Scissors, tons of scissors
Black clothing
Strong hands (those old scissors may refuse to work properly)
Note –Not recommended for the long-haired among us…so remember, safety first! Keep a safe distance, and beware of those “accidental” snips, unless your colleagues think that you desperately need “just a little trim off the top”.
Crime Scene Tech Difficulty level – Medium Materials and tools needed:
Masking tape
Caution tape
Gloves
Lab coat
Tweezers
Scalpel
Thread (to mimic hair samples)
Binder’s board to create a body/chalk outline (create a tri-fold for easy travel)
Golden gloss/matte media (or anything that fluoresces) to create “blood” splatters
Polyethylene bags (to collect evidence)
UV lamp
Protective UV goggles
Fluorescent scale (optional)
Camera (optional)
Tripod (optional)
A strong stomach, not for the faint of heart
Note – For the body outline, just kindly convince a colleague to lie on the binder’s board. Nothing says “team building” like creating a fake crime scene!
The following costumes can be done as a group effort or a solo act – dealer’s choice!
Vigo the Carpathian (Painting) Difficulty level – Hard Materials and tools needed:
Print out of Vigo the Carpathian – our Lab recently switched to a 17″ wide Epson printer, so we are unable to print large scale items, so Jessica skillfully created the painting with two printouts pieced together.
Corrugated board
Cloth tapes (to create handles on the back of the painting)
Gold spray paint
Double-sided tape
Black/dark clothing
Strong arms and captivating eyes
Note – For that eerie stare DON’T FORGET to remove the eyes from the print out…the creepier, the better!
Happy haunting to you all! May the ghost tyrant and sorcerer Vigo (also known as Prince Vigo von Homburg Deutschendorf, Scourge of Carpathia, Sorrow of Moldavia, Vigo the Carpathian, Vigo the Cruel, Vigo the Torturer, Vigo the Despised, Vigo the Unholy1) protect you in all your spooky endeavors!
Otto Ege (1888-1951) was a real-life figure known for his involvement in the dispersal of medieval manuscripts. Whether he is considered a villain or a hero depends on the perspective and context in which his actions are viewed.
Ege was a book dealer and collector who gained notoriety for breaking apart medieval manuscripts and selling individual leaves or pages to collectors and institutions. He would disassemble bound illuminated manuscripts and sell them as separate pieces or as a collection of works, thereby dispersing the original works.
Original portfolio case
Leaf from 12th century manuscript bible
Leaf from 12th century Armenian bible
This is one of four Otto F. Ege collections owned by the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library before treatment. It is titled Original Leaves from Famous Bibles, Nine Centuries 1121-1935 AD (call number R090 ffB582). It came to the lab for better long term storage.
Villain
From the perspective of some scholars and conservators, Ege’s actions are viewed as unethical today. By breaking up unique historic manuscripts, he caused irreparable damage to the cultural, historical, and scholarly heritage they represented. The dispersal of these manuscripts makes it challenging for researchers to study them as cohesive and complete works, leading to a loss of valuable historical information and artistic context.
Hero
On the other hand, some might argue that Ege’s actions had positive effects. By selling individual leaves, he made rare and exquisite artworks more accessible to a broader audience, including institutions and collectors who might not have been able to afford an entire manuscript. This enabled more people to appreciate the beauty and artistry of these ancient texts.
Conclusion
Otto Ege’s legacy is a complex one, and opinions about him vary widely. However, it is essential to note that Ege’s actions occurred in a different time when the appreciation for medieval manuscripts as complete works of art was not as prevalent as it is today. Modern views on preservation and the importance of maintaining cultural heritage have evolved significantly. Ultimately, his actions highlight the ethical and moral dilemmas surrounding cultural heritage and the need for responsible stewardship of historically significant artifacts.
Treatment and Storage of the Public Library’s Collections
The Public Library owns four collections by Ege. Each have been receiving treatment to better improve their long-term storage. After the smaller collections received successful treatment, this larger collection followed suite.
Treatment
In their original format, the manuscript leaves were hinged to floppy paper folders with windows cut out for viewing. The original hinges were thick cloth, and in many cases, no longer functioning as the hinges became stuck in place. This prevented viewing the backs of the materials. The flexible folders overtime became U-shaped and were in need of supports to keep materials planar, especially during handling.
Individual leaves were unmounted from the original paper folders and re-hinged with kozo tissue and wheat starch paste onto archival 2 ply mat board supports. The mat board supports were then placed within the paper folders. Unbuffered interleaving tissue was then added between the manuscript and the folder window for long term storage to prevent the edges of the window from catching or rubbing onto the objects.
Armenian manuscript hinged to 2ply mat board support, stored within the original paper folder
The backs are now viewable!
Interleaving tissue protects the face of the manuscripts from rubbing along the edges of the windows
Storage
While other collections were retained within their original enclosures with a protective chemise, this portfolio was acidic and deformed with broken ties, so two new corrugated banker’s boxes were created to retain the original enclosure and store the manuscripts separately.
Additional Resources
The Public Library also owns Ege collections titled Fifty Original Leaves from Medieval Manuscript Western Europe: XII‐XVI century (call number R096.1 ffF469), Fifteen original oriental manuscript leaves of six centuries (call number 096.1 ffF469f), and Original Leaves from Famous Books, Eight Centuries 1240 A.D. – 1923 A.D. (call number R094 ff069).
The collection Fifty Original Leaves from Medieval Manuscripts is digitized and is available online in the digital library.
There are also multiple copies of the printed pamphlet by Otto Ege titled Pre‐Alphabet days. Interestingly, Genealogy and Local History own two copies in different formats. One copy is a cased‐in hardback with a single sewn gathering while the other copy is a single gathering pamphlet sewn into a paper case. Both pamphlets are original formats that would have been offered to buyers at different price points!
If you’re interested in further treatment details, check out our treatment reports on the Digital Resource Commons by searching for Otto Ege.
Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer [CHPL] – Special Collections Conservator, Lab Manager
In preparation for reopening, the Preservation Lab has been working closely with a variety of CHPL staff to prepare collection items and exhibit cases for display.
To celebrate the dramatic reveal of updates, we’ve provided before and after pictures of the Main downtown library followed by a sneak peek at some of the exhibits.
Main Library Before, During, and After Renovations
Before construction
Installation of scaffolding for skylight maintenance
Nearing completion
July 12th, 2024 – Opening Day! A view of the atrium with a new social staircase.
Exhibits
Exhibit prep work consisted of treatment, matting, creating custom supports, install on site (and more!) for eight different exhibits!
1. Eugenia Rhein Doll Collection
Eugenia holds a Spanish doll wearing a cofrades hat symbolizing penance, often worn on Easter
Located in the Nolan Room (namesake of John T. Nolan Jr, president of the board of trustees from 1951-1983, known as “Jack”), are a collection of dolls from all over the world, representing nearly 100 countries. The dolls were gifted to the Library by Eugenia Rhein who was an administration assistant and a deeply committed employee for over 40 years. During Eugenia’s extensive travels she collected the dolls from countries such as Kuwait, Algeria, Rhodesia, Korea, Pakistan, Whales and more. In the 1970’s the dolls were often used in displays at the library to tell stories about children from other cultures by the Children’s Librarian.
Image of Eugenia is courtesy of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library.
The Nolan Room
Now open to the public, this uniquely round room is located on the third floor next to the tower room.
Staged dollsThe Nolan RoomLabeled by country
During Doll Installation
Matt McCoy cleans the glass inside and out
Empty doll boxes during installation
Dolls were examined for condition during install. Dolls too fragile (or broken) were left stored in their corrugated clamshells. Dolls in good condition were carefully placed on stands, secured around their waste. Larger dolls required special strapping or additional supports to secure the object in place. Minor treatment was performed on site to repair dolls, reduce creasing in outfits, or clean dust and debris.
Fragile doll remains in boxExtra support requiredPortuguese doll on stand
2. Veterans Exhibit
Located on the second floor at the top of the social staircase, a new purpose built space was built for the Veteran’s exhibit where artifacts are displayed in concert with stories provided by a digital exhibit and recorded interviews. The Book of Homage is highlighted with the pages turned periodically to reveal lists of names. Original War Bond posters, that were conserved and matted by the Preservation Lab, show the Victory Book Campaign requesting Americans donate books to their local library. War Bond posters will be rotated periodically to protect the vibrant printed colors from fading and the papers from darkening, but perhaps more importantly, show the wide range of art and messages conveyed during times of war.
New purpose-built Veterans exhibit the day of openingOne of my favorite war bond posters drawn by DR. SEUSS! (Not currently on display but available upon request.)
You might also be interested in:
This blog post where Jessica has highlighted war bond poster photographic documentation.
Conservation treatment reports for the War Bond Posters on the UC Libraries Digital Repository can be accessed here.
3. Real Art for Young Artists: Original Illustrations from Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
This exhibit, initially installed in the North building in 2019, was moved to the NEW children’s library location, now on the first floor in the renovated South building.
New Children’s Library
The new children’s library in the South building contains interactive sculptures with lights and sounds, such as this replica of the Roebling Bridge
Updated Exhibit Location
The exhibit showcases original hand-drawn illustrations created for the book Noisy Nora, donated to the library by the author and artist, Rosemary Wells.
Original 2019 location in North building
New 2024 installation in South building
Exhibit Preparation
Luckily, much of the exhibit prep work had already been completed in 2018 for the initial installation (you can read about the original conservation and matting of the illustrations here that are UV protected and waterproof!), but now it was time for maintenance and upkeep.
In particular, the glazing on the frames had developed an iridescent coating residue from well-intentioned cleaners. This made detailed viewing of the illustrations problematic.
Other issues stemmed from the art being at children’s height. The matting and glazing packages had come loose from the frames in a few instances from being pushed inward. Others, such as the illustration “Jack had gotten filthy” had been drawn on with yellow crayon. The crayon marks were not easily removable and needed evaluation by the conservation team to improve.
Despite these issues, due to our forward-thinking work in 2018, the tightly sealed matting packages kept the original artwork completely safe and undamaged. Improvements required adjustments to the frames only!
Before exhibit maintenance, the glazing of the matting package suffers from being drawn on by crayons
Before exhibit maintenance, a matting package was pushed into the frame
During treatment, the matting package is secured with strong nails to the inside of the frame rather than using the folding metal tabs
After treatment the art is secured in the frames and the UV coated glazing is clean
4. History of the Library
With the establishment of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library in 1853, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the oldest libraries in the county and thus full of history to highlight! This physical exhibition beautifully compliments the online virtual exhibit located here.
The physical exhibit is located on the 3rd floor in the Cincinnati Room along the connector where special collections are carefully monitored while on display with specialized light, humidity and temperature controls.
On view are captivating images of the iconic lost library of Vine Street as well as other branch locations, many of which are Carnegie buildings. You can also get up close and personal with past library technologies and special collection objects such as stained glass from the original Vine Street location.
View inside Cincinnati Room
Physical exhibit complements digital exhibt
Original stained glass fragments
Card catalog sorter
Stereoview, lantern slide projector, and paper piano rolls
Special collection ledgers
For this exhibit (and many others!), Conservation Specialist, Matt McCoy worked diligently to replace non-archival black felts at the base of the cases with fresh polyester velvet covered boards. This great improvement is not only archival, but no longer slips and slides when objects are set in place and it’s easily removable to clean crumbs of books off with a brush.
Matt created custom boards covered in polyester velvet in the lab…
Then tweaked and installed on site!
5. Circulating Art Books
Located on the third floor of the South building, these stylish 1950’s cases were also refreshed by the lab with new bases of polyester velvet covered boards.
Currently on display are a variety of beautiful art books, sometimes referred to as coffee-table books. Unlike materials in the Cincinnati Room, these materials can be checked out and taken home!
Interested in an art book you see? Scan the QR code to check out any of the titles on display!
6. Birds of America by John James Audubon
Located in the reading room, named the Cincinnati Room, on the 3rd floor connector is where one of the library’s most famous special collection items lives. This item is proudly back on display after resting during renovations. It is the early 19th century double elephant folio known for its gigantic size: the Birds of America Vols. 1-4 by John James Audubon.
With pages that are turned once a week, their grandeur enables you to see the birds represented to scale! Even the flamingo is life size (albeit the neck is wrapped around the page instead of upright).
Cleaning the cases was the first step before installation as they were covered in construction dust inside and out! Before main closed for renovations, the Cincinnati Museum Center modified these cases for us so that the beds pull out for easy access. Their generous modifications were provided as a thank you for loaning all four volumes of the Birds of America for their 2019 exhibit titled In the Audubon Tradition and were a wonderful improvement!
Volumes are protected with custom wrappers. Wrappers consist of strong but lightweight Dibond, archival corrugated board, cloth spines, and ethafoam sheeting secured with cloth ties.
Volumes are also covered in polyester jackets
These heavy books require at least two people to carry
Books are supported with hinging cradles from Benchmark Catalog. The cradles adjust to the weight of the book when pages are turned.
Polyethylene strapping attaches to back of the cradles with Velcro. Strapping protects pages from sagging due to gravity.
The digitized pages are available on a touch screen next to the display case. Nearby, the 1848 eight-plate daguerreotype panorama is also on display!
Supplemental Materials
Perhaps less well-known but just as captivating are the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio. In nearby cases, these supplemental materials beautifully complement the Birds of America.
Read more about this amazing collection item that was recently on exhibit March 2024 at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra here and see images of the vibrantly colored lithographs. Or, check out the book America’s Other Audubon by Joy Kiser to see reproductions of the illustrations and learn about the female artist and her family who produced them.
The prospectus of Nests and Eggs is temporarily on display that may have been owned by the illustrator, Gabrielle Estelle Jones, used to entice funders
View the original Nests and Eggs by requesting the material in the Cincinnati Room
Check out and take home this reference material with reproductions of the illustrations and learn about the history of how they’re made
7. Satellite display of reference materials about the Birds of America
Located near the 1950’s cases on the 3rd floor of the South building are supplemental materials relating to the Birds of America. For example, John James Audubon also collaborated with his two sons to depict 150 plates of four-legged animals. While the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library owns these two original volumes which can be viewed in the Cincinnati Room, this display shows reference materials relating to such items.
8. The Inland Rivers Steamboat Exhibition
This exhibit utilizes the Inland Rivers Collection at CHPL to illustrate the historic steamboat and river culture in the region. It is located on the 2nd floor connector.
While much of the materials in the exhibit are owned by the Public Library, some of the more unique treasures are on loan from the Cincinnati Museum Center who provided items such as a heavy life preserver made of cork and a leather-bound bible with handwritten inscriptions salvaged from steamboat wreckage.
Exhibit Installation
Exhibit Installation consisted of creating custom 3-D supports for special collection items on loan while CHPL materials were supported with flat mat board supports. Photographs were mounted to archival boards to prevent them from curling in changes of ambient humidity.
Creating a soft yet strong custom support for the life preserverCleaning dust from velvetLife preserver is also secured to support with polyethylene strapping
Three people are necessary to lift the vitrines safely over objects within these cases
Life preserver ready for showtime!
This steamboat relic was previously mounted and matted at the Preservation Lab by Chris Voynovich
Steamboat salvaged bible needed strapping and a custom cradle to show the handwritten inscription
View of Inland Rivers Steamboat Exhibit from the opposite end of the connector
With so many exhibits and a variety of content for all ages be sure to head downtown and visit them in person!
Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer[CHPL] – Conservator and Conservation Lab Co-Manager
Bonus Images of Main
Front of library is easily accessible
The new Story Center with large touch screens for digital exhibits
Terraces available during certain hours
Demolition of the front entranceDuring renovations to improve access
Hi! I’m Nicole, and I’m the newest member of the Preservation Lab.
When I was interviewing for the position of Conservation Assistant, I did a deep dive into what preservation and conservation really mean. I read through blog posts and perused the Lab’s Instagram, trying to get a grasp on what exactly the lab did. Little did I know, these snapshots into lab life hardly even scratched the surface.
Materials and Tools
My first week as a Conservation Assistant was full of learning, from what types of boards and paper supplies are available, to how to create a pamphlet binder and sew music scores. I had no idea there were so many types of paper out there, and I was ignorant about how many tools there exist simply to cut these pieces of paper. My hand skills were immediately put to the test with learning the stitches used to attach pamphlets to protective premade binders, which create a hard cover for these otherwise soft materials. I was also instructed in which methods of cutting are best for which practices and types of paper, such as board shears for larger pieces of Bristol or corrugated board, scalpels and Olfas for small, precision cutting, and even a corner cutter to clean up the corners of your pamphlet binders!
Sewing parts of a music score with a needle and thread.
Enclosures
Over the next few weeks, I was thrust into a whole new world of enclosures after learning about pamphlet binders and music scores. Enclosures are typically boxes that are used to keep a book or object safe from light, dust, and other environmental factors that can harm the item over time.
Tuxedo boxes
Creating tuxedo boxes was an exciting and fun challenge, as getting all the measurements right and being precise is so important. These boxes take a lot of focus to make, and attaching the two pieces of board can be daunting, as you must make sure not to overlap the folds and ruin the whole box.
A finished tuxedo box on the left, and the two pieces of an unfinished tuxedo box opened to show the full spread of the box on the right.
Corrugated Clamshells
Corrugated clamshell boxes came next, with their in depth measuring and precision crimping and cutting. Like a tuxedo box, these boxes offer better storage from light and dust, and are a more structured enclosure. Where they differ, though, is they are made from corrugated board rather than Bristol board, and this offers more support to items that need a little boost of structural help. These boxes are made from one piece of board that is cut and folded into a clam-like box that opens on one end and is attached at the spine.
A corrugated clamshell during the construction process. This clamshell still needs it’s ends glued in to create it’s box shape.
General Collections Treatment
My final big learning project was cloth tape removal, which was something completely different, making it very enjoyable to learn. Cloth tape removal is taking off old adhesive tape that has been applied to materials that is now falling apart. To remove cloth tape, a poultice of methyl cellulose is applied in thirds to the tape. Introducing moisture to the adhesive allows you to slowly and carefully use a Casselli microspatula to loosen and remove the tape, leaving behind only the original materials.
An old pamphlet that’s been bound together with cloth tape in the middle of the removal process. Weights hold down pieces of Mylar to keep the pamphlet cover from absorbing any of the poultice. The cloth tape is the grey strip on the right of the pamphlet, and you can see where some of the tape has been removed and what still needs to be done.
Final Impressions
I’ve learned so much over my first month at the lab, but so far corrugated clamshells have been my favorite. It’s been so fun to grow my hand skills and to see how much of a difference one month can make, and I’m so excited to expand my horizons and learn more about the lab in the upcoming months!
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
I was recently building an enclosure for a book dating back to 1681 entitled The Experienced Farrier. While examining this item I noticed something interesting about the spelling of certain words: often, rather than seeing what normally should be the letter “s” I would see what appeared to be the letter “f.”
Figure 1: An image from The Experienced Farrier, containing what appears to be “strange” spellings.
Since noticing this, I started seeing these seemingly bizarre spellings in other items dating to this period, as can be seen in the title page from a copy of Don Quixote from 1678.
Figure 2: An image of the text from Don Quixote, with further examples of these “strange” spellings.
Identifying The Long S
After some sleuthing, I discovered something interesting: these letters were not “f”s at all. They were a now defunct character known as the “long s.” Closer examination of these letters in the text showed that, although they closely resembled an “f,” the horizontal cross bar did not extend all the way across the letter; it starts on the left side and ends in the middle.
Figure 3: A close-up of the word “most” that uses the “long s.” Note that the horizontal cross bar stops at the center stem of the letter.
Figure 4: The “long s” (left) as compared to a lowercase “f” (right).
This solved some of the mystery, but what about the characters that looked like an “f” where the bottom of it curves to the left?
Figure 5: Another style of the “long s,” depicted as it would appear in cursive handwriting.
The answer is that this is also a “long s,” but depicted how it was written in cursive. If you feel like you’ve seen this character before, you’re probably correct: a notable example of this style of “long s” can be found in the first line of the Bill of Rights. Some may also recognize this character from calculus as the “integral” symbol.
Figure 6: The “long s” that occurs in the word “Congress” as it appears in the handwritten Bill of Rights.
Figure 7: The “integral” symbol used in calculus uses the same character used for the cursive-style “long s.”
When The Long S Was Used
You may have noticed in some of these examples that not every “s” is the long form. So, what exactly were the rules for when and where this character was used?
It’s difficult to say exactly, as the rules changed over time and writers/printers didn’t always adhere to the same rules. However, according to a blog from the National Archives, some simple guidelines for when and where the “long s” was used are as follows:
An “s” would use the long form if it appeared at the beginning or in the middle of a word, but only if it is a lowercase s. An uppercase S would not use the long form of the letter.
An “s” would not use the long form if it was the last letter in a word.
It was very common in the case of a “double s” or “ss”, as in the word “opossum”, for both “s”s to be the long form (opoſſum), unless the “ss” ended the word, as in the word “congress”, in which only the first “s” would be the long form (congreſs). *
*An observant reader may notice that this last rule is redundant given the first two rules; however, mentioning the “long s” in the case of an “ss” is significant in that as this character fell out of favor with writers/printers, one of the last remaining circumstances that utilized it was in the case of an “ss.”
Figure 8: Examples of when the “long s” was/was not used.
Final Observations
Gradually, the “long s” fell out of usage around the time of the late 1700’s-1820’s, although it persisted longer in handwriting. Serendipitously, while writing this blog post, the lab received a first edition copy of Goblin’s Market with a handwritten note inside from the author, Christina Rossetti dating to 1862 that features this use even in the late 19th century:
Figure 9: Although difficult to read, this is the word success (ſucceſs) from a handwritten note dating to 1862 that utilizes the “long s” several decades after it fell out of common usage in printed media.
If you still find words containing a “long s” difficult to read, you aren’t alone; it has been theorized that it was phased out in favor of exclusive “short s” usage as they weren’t as easily confused with other letters and were found to be more legible. The disappearance of the “long s” is a good reminder that language, both written and spoken is fluid with ever evolving rules and norms.
Resources
For further information about the long s and its history be sure to check out these excellent blog posts, that were very helpful in the gathering of information for this post:
The Preservation Lab, a partnership to preserve and conserve the collections of the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library and the University of Cincinnati Libraries, seeks applicants for a Conservation Assistant position.
The Conservation Assistant is a technician level position with on-the-job training that may appeal to emerging conservation professionals. This position will join a collaborative team of 7 full-time staff members, including conservators, a preservation librarian, technicians, student workers and volunteers to preserve collections from both institutions. The Preservation Lab staff consists of both Cincinnati Public Library and the University Library members. This position is a Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library position but is stationed at the University of Cincinnati West campus.
The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to execute hands-on work with skill.
Founded in 1853, the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library today is one of the busiest and most highly acclaimed library systems in the United States, providing service to over 800,000 residents through a network of 40 branch libraries, a major downtown Main Library, and a Distribution Center. CHPL holds one of the largest genealogical collections in the United States and many other specialized collections, most of which are housed in the Main library.
