Before treatment one.

Before treatment one.

Magnitskii, Leontii Filippovich. Arifmetika. [Russia], 1713 This book had been previously mended in a manner that did not allow for the easy flexing of the pages. Heavy western paper had been applied in wide strips to cover damage and tears. These inappropriate mends were removed with moisture and replaced with less invasive repairs. Tears and areas of loss were mended individually with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste. Japanese paper is often used for conservation mending because it is strong and thin with long fibers. It can be toned with acrylics to blend in with the color of the paper. Wheat starch paste is a good adhesive choice because it may be reactivated in water; therefore, these repairs are usually reversible should they need to be removed in the future.

April 2003

Whitney Baker