Books

Bay Psalm Book
Stephen Daye
[The Bay Psalm Book]
Bound volume, 1640

Rare Book & Special Collections Division

This humble and well-worn hymnal was printed in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by Stephen Daye, first printer of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It is the first book printed in what is now the United States.

Known as The Bay Psalm Book, but really titled The Whole Booke of Psalmes Faithfully Translated into English Metre, it represents what was most sacred to the Puritans--a faithful translation of God's Word, to be sung in worship by the entire congregation. The same faith that compelled them to leave England and strike out for the New World prompted them to commit this text to print before all others.

The Library of Congress's copy of the Bay Psalm Book is one of eleven surviving copies and one of five remaining copies that are in their original bindings. It is missing the title page and eighteen leaves.

Treatment:Pages that had already become detached from the text block were mended and reattached. Weak sewing was reinforced and the front cover was reattached.

Pulp Fiction

Rare Book & Special Collections Division

During the 1860s, American reading habits changed radically with the introduction of paper bound series of popular fiction at a fixed, inexpensive price. Scorned by polite society, copyright deposit allowed the Library to accumulate nearly 40,000 of these often sensationalistic titles known as dime novels.

Treatment: Conservators sleeved each dime novel and then placed each volume in an archival storage box for support and protection from possible environmental dangers such as light, dust, and water.

After treatment

I Spy . . . Vous!
Peter Force Papers
[Journal of Cash of the Commission at the Court of France]
Bound text, 1776-1779

Manuscript Division

The Journal of the Commission of France is the unique record of cash disbursements, including payments for spying, of the American commissioners (ministers) at the Court of France. It was acquired by the Library as part of the Peter Force Papers that were purchased in 1867.

Treatment: The text had been bound in a stiff binding, that was causing text pages to break when turned. The text was disbound, washed, deacidified, and sized. The pages were resewn in a manner that allowed greater mechanical flexibility and bound in a style sympathetic of the period (full calf leather). It is kept in a custom-made clamshell box.

Registrum Brevium
[Register of Letters of Edward I]
Manuscript on Vellum, 14th century

Law Library

This 14th-century manuscript is a register of the letters of King Edward I of England. The letters were copied in brown and black ink onto parchment leaves and bound together. The parchment was probably made from sheepskin, as evidenced by the pronounced grain pattern and the marked difference in coloring between the hair and flesh sides. The skins are not of high quality and are of varying thickness and color throughout.

Treatment: This parchment manuscript showed signs of wear from many centuries of use. Leaves were discolored and stained and there were losses and tears. Losses and tears were repaired with tinted, thinned parchment or fish skin membrane and adhered with gelatin.

The most recent rebinding, (a full leather binding), had caused severe cockling of the folios by constricting the spine with a thick, stiff adhesive and a tight-backed construction. The parchment folios were removed from the binding, the adhesive was removed from folds, and each folio was relaxed by humidifying and flattening. The textblock was sewn with linen thread onto cords and laced into wooden boards shaped to emulate a 14th-century style. Secured with pegs, the boards were covered with goatskin.

Conservator shapes wooden boards to serve as covers to item.

Detail of textblock attachment to boards

After treatment

Frontier Journal
William Peters
[Journal]
Bound volume, 1793-1794

Manuscript Division

Treatment: The severely embrittled and heavily stained paper journal required extensive testing to determine an effective course of action. Solvent treatment was then applied to reverse damage to the volume caused by oil soaking, which had rendered the text illegible. The journal was then rebound.

Imperial Russian Pleasure Reading
Russian Imperial Collection
19th c.

Rare Books and Special Collections Division

This law book was among 2,600 volumes from the book collections of the Romanov family were purchased in the early 1930s by the Library through a New York book dealer. The collection includes 18th- and 19th-century documents, biographies, works of literature, and military, social and administrative histories. It reflects the reading interests of the imperial family and the types of publications they received as gifts.

Treatment: Conservators designed a custom box to allow full access to the volume as well as the seal, while keeping the components safely anchored at all times. The box lid is fitted with two linen-wrapped foam pads. They apply gentle pressure to the binding and skippet, keeping them immobile as the box is moved from its designated shelf space. A removable shelf allows the object to be removed from the box without exerting stress on the binding, skippet, tassels, and metallic cord.

Lincoln's Inaugural Bible
The Holy Bible, Oxford
[Lincoln's Inaugural Bible]
Bound volume
1853

Rare Book and Special Collections Division

Chief Justice Roger B. Taney , administered the oath of office to Abraham Lincoln using the Bible shown here. With the brief words, “I, Abraham Lincoln, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” Lincoln was sworn in as the sixteenth president. The ceremony was witnessed by Clerk of the Supreme Court, William Thomas Carroll, who recorded the occasion as above in the back of this Bible.

Treatment: The front cover of the velvet binding was mostly detached from the volume and the back cover was completely detached. Several loose pages were reattached using Japanese tissue paper and wheat starch paste. The binding was repaired with linen and the text block and binding were rejoined.

The Woman's Bible
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
[The Woman's Bible]
Bound volume
1895

Manuscript Division

Although most often identified as a suffragist, Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) participated in a variety of reform initiatives during her lifetime. Her views on religion and on the Church's role in limiting women's progress culminated in 1895 with the publication of The Woman's Bible, shown here in draft form. The Woman's Bible was an attempt to promote a radical liberating theology that stressed self-development and challenged the ideological basis for women's subordination.

Treatment: Conservators dry cleaned the manuscript. They mended tears using wheat starch paste and Japanese tissue. Each page was then encapsulated in polyester sheeting and in a post binding to allow access to both sides of each page. Finally, they placed the Bible in a sturdy clam shell box to provide safe housing for years to come.

Helen Keller Bible
American Bible Society
[H. Keller Bible: The Book of Psalms in raised letters for the use of the blind]
Bound volume
1842

Rare Books and Special Collections Division

Helen Keller (June 27, 1880- June 1, 1968) lost her hearing and sight at 19 months of age. After special tutoring as dramatically portrayed in the film The Miracle Worker, Keller went on to lead a life of advocacy for the disabled. Through her writings and her political affiliations, she supported many progressive and liberal causes. Throughout her career her strong religious faith as guided by her Book of Psalms was evident in all her work.

Treatment: The rounded spine of this volume is three times thicker than the foreedge. Extra paper was bound into the spine to protect and compensate for the raised letter profile of each page. Book conservators reinforced the corners and loose board fragments of the binding by building up layers of paste, paper, and lab-made wood putty. Where needed, they inserted new leather that was dyed and grained to match the original binding. Paper conservators cleaned the textblock by vacuuming mold, and removing fly specks with a sharp blade under magnification. They mended tears and losses and added page guards of lightweight Japanese mending paper adhered with wheat paste starch. Each page was also deacidified to prolong the life of the book.

After treatment

Biological Warfare
Chemical Corps Research and Development Command
Biological Warfare Laboratories
[Japanese Medical Experiments During WWII: Reports of “A,” “G,” and “Q”]
Bound volumes, n..d.

Science, Technology and Business Division

The reports are part of the information obtained by American investigators from members of the infamous Kwantung Army Water Supply and Purification Department (boeki Kyusui Bu), stationed in Manchuria and commanded by Lt. Gen. Shiro Ishii. Imperial Japan's Biological Warfare Unit conducted experiments (often using human guinea pigs) on how to defend against bacteriological attacks, and conversely, how to use biological agents against enemies. The reports, which have been used in several documentaries, were instrumental in 1995 efforts to get the Japanese government to admit that the Imperial Army had committed crimes against humanity. The reports were acquired from the Dugway, Utah, Proving Ground library, where they had been singled out for disposal.

Treatment: The three volumes, containing delicately colored medical drawings in addition to photographs taken through a microscope, were photocopied. The reproduced sheets were bound in four volumes. The original sheets were put into polyester sleeves to prevent further wear and tear, and placed into archival boxes.

Industrial Espionage
U.S. Department of Commerce
Office of Technical Services, Technical Industrial Intelligence Division
[Reports Resulting from the Investigation of German Technology 1945-1946, and Index of Personnel]
Bound volume
May 1, 1947

Science, Technology & Business Division

The report lists the members of industrial intelligence staff sent by American industry to post-war Germany under the auspices of the Department of Commerce to investigate the state of development German industry had reached before and during the war. The resulting reports and the material collected was made available by the Department of Commerce's Publication Board to help American industry re-enter commercial markets after years of war production.

Treatment: The original document, which had ink bleeding through the pages, had become brittle. Surrogate copies were made for researchers to use and the original was retained.

German High-Speed Airplanes
Combined Intelligence Objectives Sub-Committee
[German High Speed Airplanes and Design Development]
CIOS Report XXXI-3, August 1945

Science, Technology & Business Division

The report contains data on and scale sketches of 25 of Nazi Germany's outstanding high-speed airplanes. While some of them actually were in production or had passed through the prototype stage, the large majority were still in the design or research stage. Almost all of them were propelled by jet engines.

Treatment: Because of brittle and torn pages, the report was photocopied and the new copy was bound. However, many of the drawings were of white lines on a black background, rendering the copies less clear than the original, and in some cases, illegible. The original sheets were placed in polyester envelopes and the whole set was put into a custom-made archival box.

Front cover of book

Hokusai Hyaku Monogatari (Ghost Tales)
Katsushika Hokusai
no Uchi Gomai
[Hokusai Hyaku Monogatari
(5 of the Ghost Tales)]
Book, 1830

Prints & Photographs Division

Hyaku Monogatari (Ghost Tales), are bold portraits of bloody events and terrifying creatures. However, the artist rendered his dramatic subjects in meticulous detail, showing a careful, almost scientific observation of nature. Thus, Ghost Tales balances a bizarre and fantastic subject matter with a down-to-earth and realistic style. Collectors of Ukiyo-e have prized these works and scholars consider them among the best representatives of the genius of Hokusai.

Treatment: The album of 5 woodblock prints is constructed of silk-covered boards which protect an accordion fold structure. The prints are fully mounted onto gilded pages. The prints themselves are in excellent condition. However, the silk covers had deteriorated and become frayed around the edges, suffering some losses.

Conservators removed the drummed-on silk and lined it with Japanese handmade tissue and paste. They inlaid the losses with tinted silk. They then drummed the silk onto new, shaped book boards constructed of alkaline mat board. They created a cloth-covered box to house the album and original boards together.

Columbus Book of Privileges
Códice Diplomático Columbo-Americano
Seville: ca. 1502
Vellum

Manuscript Division

On January 5, 1502, prior to his fourth and final voyage to America, Christopher Columbus gathered several judges and notaries in his home in Seville to authorize the authentic copies of his archival collection of original documents through which Isabel and Fernando had granted titles, revenues, powers, and privileges to him and his descendants. These 36 documents are popularly called Columbus's “Book of Privileges.”

Four copies of the “Book” existed in 1502, three written on vellum and one on paper. The Library's copy is one of the three on vellum.

Treatment: In the late 19th century, the manuscript had been rebound in a structure that severely restricted the freedom required by the hygroscopic nature of vellum. As a result, the extremely cockled textblock was impossible to use safely and the ink was subject to abrasion.

After minimal surface cleaning, the volume was disbound and flattened. To reduce the creases and cockles, conservators repeatedly humidified and relaxed the folios before placing them on the suction table. They then resewed the manuscript in a a non-adhesive long stitch structure and covered it with a new limp vellum case. They rebound the volume in a manner both aesthetically compatible with early 16th century Spanish manuscripts and structurally appropriate for the nature of the vellum pages.

Saddle Koran
Koran
19thc.

African and Middle East Division Division

This type of Qur'an was designed to be used by horse or camel riders. This particular Qur'an dates from the 19th century. It was copied in Maghribi script in Morocco by Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abd al-Barr ibn Mahmud ibn Hanbal. It consists of 371 separate leaves plus a front and back cover. The leaves were carefully boxed in four custom-fitted leather cases, each placed inside the other.

Treatment: A box was constructed to protect the volume in the leather cases and the long leather thongs.

Mukhtasar Muntaha
al-su-` wa'al'amal fi `ilmay al-usul wa-al-jadal
Islamic MSS, arabic script, either Turkish or Syrian

African and Middle East Division

This 16th century work on Islamic jurisprudence is part of the Munajjid Collection which comprises the most important and artistic Islamic manuscripts held by the Library of Congress. The author of the work is the well known jurisconsult Ibn Hajib. The manuscript was copied by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Latif al-Khalwati al-Muhibi.

Treatment: Conservators repaired the textblock and designed an innovative sewing structure that allows the manuscript to open fully without damaging the paper leaves.

The Book of Sermons by the Martyred would-be Messiah Shlomo Molcho
Marrano Shlomo Molcho
[Drashot]
Bound Volume
ca. 1529

African and Middle East Division

Derashot, (titled Sefer ha-Mefo`ar), is a collection of the sermons of the returned-to-Judaism, Christian-born Marrano Shlomo Molcho. It was published in Salonica in 1529. Molcho preached his sermons in Salonica, where he pronounced his faith in imminent messianic redemption. He may also have declared himself a messianic candidate to his disciples. After a brief meteoric career, the would-be Messiah was burned at the stake for heresy.

Treatment: The paper text block was severly damaged by insects and suffered many losses. Earlier pressure sensitive "mends" had caused significant distortion and discoloration of the paper. The tape and adhesive residue were removed using organic solvents. The damaged paper leaves were repaired using a leafcasting method filling in the losses with paper fibers. Conservators bound the text into a limp paper binding structure.

Consolidation of Medieval Manuscripts
MS.51
Book of Hours
Flanders
1494
16-C.

Rare Book and Special Collection Division

The condition of each Medieval Manuscript in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division was examined in conjunction with the publication of S. Schutzner's Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Books in the Library of Congress, Vol. I. Biblio, Liturgy, and Books of Hours. The majority of the manuscripts from the 12th C. to the 16th C. are on parchment folios and many have illustrations with mineral pigments and gold leaf. The style and application method of the pigments varies depending on the century and location of the scriptorium or monastery.

Treatment: Conservators treated only the manuscripts with actively flaking pigments in danger of permanent loss. Working under microscopic magnification, pigments which were separated from the parchment were reattached by carefully applying a drop of diluted gelatin or parchment size under the detached layer of pigmented image.

Detail Before treatment
Detail After treatment