Time often does not favour books…
Do you have a family heirloom that needs repairing or a well loved children’s book you hold dear and want to save? I offer repairs and suitable fitted storage options upon assessing the damage in person. Contact me via the contact form.
I’ve learned the repair and restoration of books during my apprenticeship where it was our daily work rather than binding new books. Preserving prior generations cultural heirloom and wisdom, oftentimes only appreciated due to sentimental values holds a significant meaning for me.
Unlike materials like metal, paper and cloth are a bit tricky to work with as most damage that has been done will be visible even after repair. On top of that, the way materials were produced back in the day can have a lasting negative effect, with books most notably the acidity in paper and cardboard. A repair focuses mainly on making the item usable again.
The example on this page shows a cook book from the 30s with a torn and incomplete back where the front and back cover came loose from the book block. The book also had lost the round back and the cover boards where worn out.
The customer choose the option of a new cover with as much of the old parts preserved as possible.
This is the finished repair together with the custom made slip case. The felt supports the heavy book block and takes the strain from the back. I chose a warm dark green as the matching new fabric due to different discolouring caused by light exposure and stains over long years of use.
If you have a book or paper object to repair please feel free to reach out.
As pictures can often be deceiving I have to be able to inspect the item in person before I can make an offer. If you are in the Bristol area I’ll be happy to do this at market events I am attending. They will be announced on here and my Instagram.