1.

REPAIR

REPAIR ENTAILS RETURNING A BOOK TO USEFULNESS OR PREVENTING ITS FURTHER DETERIORATION BY REPAIRING SUCH THINGS AS CRACKING OR LOOSENING OF THE BINDING OR A HINGE, TEARS OF THE CLOTH OR PAGES, STRENGTHENING INTERNAL HINGES, OR CLEANING THE BOARDS (COVERS) OF THE BOOK. THE SERVICE INCLUDES A PAGE-BY-PAGE INSPECTION TO REPAIR ANY PAGES THAT ARE TORN, LOOSE, OR HAVE CREASES.

THE FEE FOR THIS SERVICE BEGINS AT $35 PLUS SHIPPING. DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF REPAIR REQUIRED THE FINAL FEE COULD BE HIGHER BUT RARELY EXCEEDS $50 PLUS SHIPPING.

2.

RECASING 

MOST BOOKS PUBLISHED SINCE THE MID-NINETEENTH CENTURY ARE CASED. THIS MEANS THE BOARDS (FRONT AND BACK COVERS) AND SPINE MATERIAL ARE ATTACHED TO THE TEXT BLOCK BY MEANS OF "HINGES" AND THE SPINE MATERIAL IS NOT GLUED TO THE BACK OF THE TEXT BLOCK. A HINGE IS ACTUALLY COMPOSED OF THREE ENTITIES: MULL, WITH OR WITHOUT CORDS, WHICH IS GLUED TO THE TEXT BLOCK AND THEN TO THE BOARDS, THE LEATHER OR CLOTH OF THE COVERS, AND THE END PAPERS WHICH ARE GLUED TO THE INSIDE OF THE BOARDS AND TO THE HINGE AREA.

IF ONE OR BOTH HINGES OF THE BOOK ARE COMPLETELY BROKEN (THE BOARD IS SEPARATED FROM THE TEXT BLOCK), THE TEXT BLOCK MUST BE COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM THE BOARDS AND NEW HINGES MADE. THE TEXT BLOCK IS THEN REATTACHED WITH THE NEW HINGE MATERIAL AND NEW END PAPERS. CARE IS TAKEN TO TRY TO MATCH THE NEW END PAPERS AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE TO THE OLD.

ONCE AGAIN, THIS SERVICE INCLUDES A PAGE-BY-PAGE INSPECTION TO REPAIR ANY TORN LOOSE, OR CREASED PAGES.

IF THE SPINE MATERIAL IS BADLY TORN OR CHIPPED AT THE HEAD OR TAIL IT MAY NEED TO BE CUT FROM THE BOARDS AND NEW MATCHING MATERIAL ATTACHED TO THE BOARDS. THE ORIGINAL SPINE MATERIAL IS THEN GLUED (RELAID) ONTO THE NEW. IF THE ORIGINAL SPINE MATERIAL IS BEYOND SALVAGE THE TITLE, AUTHOR, AND PUBLISHER CAN BE LETTERED ON THE NEW SPINE MATERIAL IN EITHER GOLD OR BLACK.

AN ESTIMATE OF THE COST CAN BE PROVIDED AFTER EXAMINATION OF THE BOOK. IF YOU PREFER TO SEND PHOTOS I MAY BE ABLE TO GIVE AN ESTIMATE OF COST FROM THOSE.

THE FEE FOR RECASING BEGINS AT $45 PLUS THE COST OF MATERIALS (END PAPERS, CLOTH OR LEATHER IF I DON'T HAVE THEM IN STOCK, USUALLY LESS THAN $10) AND SHIPPING.                  

The book below was printed in 1861 and is 1/4 leather over cloth boards. The leather was dry and falling apart but the boards were still in decent condition. I restored the book by recasing it and then made a new leather spine and corners and added the gilt lettered labels.           

                                                          BEFORE:

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3.

"TIGHT-BACKED" BOOKS

SOME LEATHER BOUND BOOKS FROM THE NINETEENTH CENTURY WERE BOUND WITH THE LEATHER GLUED DIRECTLY TO THE TEXT BLOCK. THESE BOOKS USUALLY HAVE RAISED BANDS ON THE SPINE WHERE THE CORDS THAT ARE PART OF THE TEXT BINDING ARE LOCATED (but most raised bands are only for decoration). OFTEN THE LEATHER HAS DRIED AND CRACKED OVER THE YEARS RESULTING IN THE SPINE LEATHER CHIPPING OFF OR THE LEATHER HINGES CRACKING.

SINCE THESE BOOKS ARE NOT CASED, THE SPINE LEATHER MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE TEXT BLOCK AND CUT FROM THE COVERS. IN MANY INSTANCES THE SPINE LEATHER CANNOT BE SAVED AND A NEW LEATHER SPINE MUST BE MADE. RARELY WILL THE NEW LEATHER MATCH THE OLD EXACTLY. IF THE BOOK HAS SIGNIFICANT COMMERCIAL OR COLLECTOR VALUE WE WOULD NOT ATTEMPT THIS TYPE OF REPAIR.

HOWEVER, MANY FAMILY BIBLES FROM THIS TIME PERIOD WERE BOUND THIS WAY AND REPAIR MAY BE REASONABLE BECAUSE OF SENTIMENTAL VALUE. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE:

Unfortunately I did not take any "before" photos of this 1871 family bible. Both covers were separated from the text block. The front cover was so soiled that no gold was evident and the leather was water damaged and separating from the cardboard relief beneath. There was no spine material and the text block was separated in two places. This Bible was about three inches thick. Careful cleaning and restoration of the front cover leather brought back the gold images. A new front board was made and the relief board and leather were then glued to form the front cover. This is a "tight-backed" volume. The text block spine was cleaned and repaired and new cords (visible in the photo) attached. The mull and cords were attached to the covers, new spine leather was dyed to match the covers, lettered and attached. Lastly, a new clasp was made and attached to the covers. The client was quite pleased.

4.

FULL RESTORATION

A FULL RESTORATION GENERALLY INCLUDES RECASING AND SIGNIFICANT REPAIRS. TYPICALLY "RESTORATION" DENOTES BRINGING A BOOK BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION WITH THE SAME BOARDS AND SPINE. SOME BOOKS CAN BE "RESTORED" IN THIS MANNER (SEE FIRST, SECOND AND FOURTH SETS OF PHOTOS BELOW). BUT MORE OFTEN IT ENTAILS A REPAIR AS SEEN IN THE THIRD SET OF PHOTOS. 

IT MAY INCLUDE RESEWING OF SIGNATURES IF PAGES HAVE COME LOOSE FROM THE TEXT BLOCK DUE TO DECAYING THREAD. SIGNATURES ARE ATTACHED TO THE SPINE BY INTERTWINING THE THREADS AND GLUING THE MULL MATERIAL OVER ALL. A PAGE-BY-PAGE INSPECTION IS PERFORMED IN ORDER TO REPAIR ANY TORN, LOOSE, OR CREASED PAGES.

THE FEE FOR A RESTORATION BEGINS AT $60 PLUS COST OF MATERIALS (END PAPERS, LEATHER OR CLOTH IF I DON'T HAVE THEM IN STOCK, RARELY EXCEEDING $20) AND SHIPPING. THE COST MAY INCREASE DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT AND TYPES OF REPAIRS MADE. IF I NEED TO RECONSTRUCT AND SEW SIGNATURES, THE COST IS $7 PER SIGNATURE (SEE ABOVE FOR A DEFINITION OF A "SIGNATURE").

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                            BEFORE:                                         AFTER:

Above is the 1868 edition of Baker's Albert Nyanza Great Basin of the Nile. 

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The leather spines on these 1905 books had dry rot and were cracking (and in some places missing completely) and some had the spine leather completely separated from the covers. First the leather was stabilized, then treated to make it softer and more pliable. If the spine leather had detached from the covers the leather panels were removed, new matching leather attached to the covers and the original panels re-laid. Finally the leather was treated with leather conditioner. The last book in each photo (that was missing most of the spine in the "before" photo) had a new leather spine made with gilt lettering to match the other volumes and gilt decorations appropriate for the edition.

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          BEFORE:                          AFTER:                  BEFORE:      AFTER:

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THIS IS THE RARE "ALLEGHANY EDITION" OF THE WINNING OF THE WEST AND IS ONE OF ONLY FIFTY SETS THAT ROOSEVELT GAVE TO U.S. AMBASSADORS AND SENIOR DIPLOMATS WHEN HE WAS ELECTED VICE PRESIDENT IN 1900. VOLUMES 1, 2, AND 3 REQUIRED RE-CASING. NEW SPINE CLOTH WAS PIECED-IN TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE AT THE HEAD AND TAIL OF THE SPINE OF VOLUME 4. THE CLOTH OF ALL FOUR VOLUMES WAS CLEANED THEN DYED TO ITS ORIGINAL COLOR AND TREATED TO RESTORE ITS NATURAL SUPPLENESS AND SHEEN.

6.

NEW BINDING

IF THE COVERING IS TORN AT THE HINGES OR BADLY SOILED, OR MOST OF THE SPINE MATERIAL IS MISSING OR TORN, A NEW BINDING MAY BE WARRANTED. BE AWARE THAT REBINDING A BOOK MAY REDUCE ITS COMMERCIAL VALUE, UNLESS IT IS IN VERY POOR CONDITION BUT A VERY DESIRABLE TITLE. 

CREATING A NEW BINDING INVOLVES MAKING A NEW CASE (BOARDS AND SPINE MATERIAL) AND COVERING IT WITH CLOTH THAT CLOSELY MATCHES THE ORIGINAL, OR FULL LEATHER OR HALF LEATHER OVER CLOTH OR PAPER.

A HALF LEATHER BINDING IS ONE IN WHICH THE SPINE IS LEATHER AND IS CARRIED OVER ONTO THE COVERS FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 INCHES. THE CORNERS ARE USUALLY COVERED WITH LEATHER. THE BOARDS ARE COVERED IN EITHER CLOTH OR PAPER. THE PAPER CAN BE A PLAIN COLORED PAPER OR MARBLED. THIS TYPE OF BINDING WAS USED DURING THE LATE NINETEENTH AND EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURIES AS A HIGH GRADE BINDING.

THE ENDPAPERS USED ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE AGE OF THE BOOK AND THE BINDING. IF THE BOARDS ARE COVERED WITH MARBLED PAPER, THE ENDPAPERS MATCH.

THE TITLE, AUTHOR, AND PUBLISHER OR YEAR OF PUBLICATION CAN BE LETTERED IN GOLD ON THE SPINE. IF RAISED BANDS ARE DESIRED, THESE CAN BE OUTLINED WITH GOLD LINES ABOVE AND BELOW. SOMETIME THE TITLE AND AUTHOR ARE LETTERED ON A CONTRASTING LEATHER LABEL.

THE FEE FOR A NEW CLOTH BINDING BEGINS AT $50 PLUS MATERIALS (IF I DON'T HAVE THEM IN STOCK, RARELY EXCEEDING $20) PLUS SHIPPING, AND FOR FULL LEATHER BINDING AT $75 OR HALF LEATHER AT $65 PLUS MATERIALS (IF I DON'T HAVE THEM IN STOCK, RARELY EXCEEDING $25) PLUS SHIPPING. HALF LEATHER BINDING CAN BE WITH CLOTH OR PAPER ON THE COVERS. THE FINAL FEE WILL DEPEND ON MATERIAL COSTS, EXTENT OF LETTERING AND DECORATION, AND AMOUNT OF REPAIRS PERFORMED.

LEATHER COLORS: BLACK, DARK BROWN, LIGHT BROWN, CRIMSON, SCARLET, NAVY BLUE, DARK GREEN.

                                               BEFORE:

 THE 1914 FIRST EDITION OF ROOSEVELT'S LIFE HISTORIES OF AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS

                                                  FULL CLOTH BINDING AFTER:

                  BEFORE:                                             HALF-LEATHER AFTER:

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AFTER: 

7. FULL LEATHER BINDING: See above for leather colors.

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AFTER:

BIBLE RESTORATION, RE-BINDING AND REPAIR

PERSONAL BIBLES HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR LIVES AND WE OFTEN WANT TO PASS THE BIBLE TO OUR CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN. BELOW ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF BIBLES THAT WE HAVE RESTORED. ALSO NOTE THE BIBLE FEATURED ABOVE. 

THE COST FOR REPAIR, RESTORATION OR RE-BINDING IS THE SAME AS NOTED ABOVE. See above for leather colors. I have black and maroon Bible endpapers.

I did not take any "Before" photos of this Bible. The client received this Bible from his parents as a child and wanted to pass it to his grandchildren. Both covers were detached from the text block and large sections of the spine were missing. The leather of the covers was very brittle and cracked easily. I recased the Bible with new leather covered boards and spine, lettered the spine as shown, and relaid the original front cover with its illustration. 

A personal Bible given to the client by his wife. This has a soft leather cover.

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AFTER:

The customer received this Bible from his mother

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1889 Family Bible

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THIS BIBLE REQUIRED EXTENSIVE RESTORATION. THE FIRST THREE SIGNATURES WERE DISBOUND AND HAD TO BE RESEWN AND RE-ATTACHED TO THE TEXT BLOCK. THE SPINE OF THE TEXT BLOCK WAS THEN GLUED, MULLED, AND BACKED. THE TEXT BLOCK WAS ATTACHED TO THE COVERS BY INTER-LEAVING THE MULL INTO THE CARDBOARD OF THE COVERS. NEW CLOTH INTERNAL HINGES WERE CONSTRUCTED. NEW SPINE LEATHER WAS ATTACHED TO THE COVERS AND THE ORGINAL SPINE RELAID. THE COVERS REQUIRED SEVERAL TREATMENTS OF CLEANING AND LEATHER CONDITIONING TO RESTORE COLOR AND SUPPLENESS.

Another Family Bible from the 1880s

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  I MADE NEW PERIOD-APPROPRIATE HEADBANDS.

A Late 19th Century Family Bible

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The pages of this Bible are very brittle and many were separated from the text block. These were joined with archival mending tape, sewn into the appropriate signatures and inserted into the text block. New cords were inserted into the spine of the text block and Japanese hinging cloth was glued onto the spine. The cords and hinging cloth were then inserted between the sections of the front and back covers and glued into place.

The covers were missing areas of gilt decorations because the leather was very dry and peeling. The leather was conditioned and then sealed with an acrylic leather sealer to prevent further loss of the decorations. A new leather spine covering with five raised bands and blind stamped devices was "tight backed" attached to the covers and text block. I was able to save the original free end sheets and reattach them constructing black cloth hinges like the original. Finally, the silver clasps were cleaned. This Bible weighs fifteen pounds! The cost for this restoration was $150.

Another Late 19th Century Family Bible

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