I can only imagine what happened to this poor dear... #damage #specialcollections #criminologycollection (at MSU Libraries)
This recipe book has a fun wood cover with brass hinges and rawhide leather thong binding. Unfortunately, the acidic wood cover has irreversibly stained the first and last pages, creating a mirror image of the wood grain. I’ve never seen anything quite like this, and find it fascinating!
Want to see this book in person? Find it here.
- Bexx
msulconservationlab reblogged
Last week I posted about a crumbly book that came through the lab. It smelled funny, and he pages resembled curling paint. Here is a video that shows what happened when I tried to turn the pages.
Thanks to everyone who has shared ideas about this. The book had a plastic smell and some evidence of damage from a liquid. The person who suggested that it may have come into contact with a solvent probably has the right idea.
This isn't a rare book, and was deemed a total loss. You could hardly look at it without the pages literally disintegrating. Fortunately, it's still in print, and could be replaced for less than $10.
This is one of those things that I see and think "WTF?!?!". It appears that someone attempted to cut this book in half with a saw, but thought better of it before doing significant damage to the textblock. Thank goodness for small miracles. -Bexx
The drips left behind on the cover of this book look kind of like a caterpillar...