Last month, Assistant Conservator Brenna Campbell traveled to the Art Conservation Department at SUNY Buffalo State to take a workshop on using UV photography to learn more about cultural heritage objects. This qualitative technique is valuable both for identifying areas of change within an object — either from damage or treatment — as well asContinue reading “UV Photography in Buffalo”
Author Archives: Brenna Campbell
A Mystery Solved!
Posted on behalf of Tiffany Eng, our intern from West Dean College While making a phase box for A New Dictionary of Medical Science (1851) from the John Martin Rare Book Room, we came across a fragment of a print on the paper used as a spine lining for the book. The medical dictionary’s printContinue reading “A Mystery Solved!”
Conserving and Preserving Iowa’s Constitution
In honor of our 30th anniversary and Bill Anthony’s legacy, we are please to share two videos about the preservation of the Iowa State Constitution. The first, made shortly after Anthony’s treatment of the Constitution was completed, outlines the history of the document, and the steps taken to conserve it. The second, made earlier thisContinue reading “Conserving and Preserving Iowa’s Constitution”
30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: The Results Are In!
Friends and visitors came from near and far to join us in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Conservation Lab. Our Benefit Auction was a resounding success, with lovely music, delicious food, beautiful bindings, and wonderful company. Altogether, the auction raised $15,635 for the William Anthony Conservation Fund. Our heartfelt thanks go out to ourContinue reading “30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: The Results Are In!”
30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: Bid Now!
There’s still time to bid on the beautiful bindings and tools in our 30th Anniversary Auction! Click the images below for more details about each item. To bid on any of these items, please email us at lib-prescons@uiowa.edu. Bids will be accepted until 7 pm CST on November 13th.
30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: The Anthony Fund
Proceeds from the Conservation Lab’s 30th Anniversary Auction will benefit the William Anthony Conservation Fund. To find out more about the auction, click here. Biography of William Anthony William (Bill) Anthony was born November 9, 1926, in Waterford, Ireland, and began his apprenticeship in bookbinding at the age of 16, later working as a journeymanContinue reading “30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: The Anthony Fund”
30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: Gary Frost
About the Binding: Exposed spine, in-boards binding consisting of parchment, flax cord and wooden boards. Estimated Value: $300 About the Artist: Gary Frost is a book conservator and book arts educator. He has held faculty positions at Columbia University, University of Texas at Austin and University of Iowa. He is now Conservator Emeritus at UniversityContinue reading “30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: Gary Frost”
30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: Anna Embree
About the Binding: William Anthony’s dedication to teaching has greatly influenced the education of generations of bookbinders in the United States. Many Book Artists who create even the most innovative or non-traditional work, received training rooted in traditional craft that can be directly traced to the lineage of William Anthony and his students. My intentContinue reading “30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: Anna Embree”
30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: Pamela Spitzmueller
About the Binding: I have been making three-dimensional work in book form for over thirty years. Rare book conservation was my profession that required knowledge of the history of binding and the skills to repair and sometimes rebind rare books. The book/bound manuscript needed to be meticulously described and photographed, and a treatment proposal approvedContinue reading “30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: Pamela Spitzmueller”
30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: Emily Martin
About the Binding: The binding of the catalog is a long stitch sewing of the text block with a soft cover attached using Saltire and transverse twisted tackets. The corners of the covers also have twisted tackets. The cover paper is natural UICB flax case paper. The original covers of the printed catalog are insertedContinue reading “30th Anniversary Benefit Auction: Emily Martin”