Tuesday, June 23, 2009 One of our volunteers, Dawn Wellington, has been working on a project re-ordering and re-housing a collection of court dockets for the Johnson County Historical Society. She went through hundreds of dockets and put them back in order and into new document boxes. When she finished, we had Leigh Ann Randak,Continue reading “Volunteer Dawn Completes Docket Project”
Author Archives: Caitlin A. Moore
A Pressing Job
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 One of our biggest workstreams at the moment is the rescue of the files from the African American Museum. We have over one hundred boxes of manuscripts which unlike the working files, which can just be photocopied, need to be saved. They are mainly records and correspondence, there are some photographsContinue reading “A Pressing Job”
Suitcase Saga Part 3
Friday, May 15, 2009 For the exposed metal I started with a medium grain steel wool to loosen the more rusted areas. I continued to vacuum the loose particles. The next step will be using a double beveled knife to try to remove some of the more stubborn areas of active corrosion. When the metalContinue reading “Suitcase Saga Part 3”
Suitcase Saga Part 2
Thursday, May 14, 2009 After I removed a majority of the mold I began to lift the paper lining where it was detaching. I did not attempt to remove the paper where it was still adhered because it is so brittle that it would just fall apart. For the areas I could not remove, I gentlyContinue reading “Suitcase Saga Part 2”
Suitcase Saga Part 1
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 This metal suitcase from the African American Museum collection was covered in rust and mold. It is also lined with brittle patterned paper. It’s a mess. I consulted with Gary to determine the best course of treatment. To begin, I used the Nilfisk Vacuum with pipette attachment to get the fuzziest mold, being very careful toContinue reading “Suitcase Saga Part 1”
Majestic troublemakers
Thursday, April 23, 2009 Three volcanoes overlook the city of Arequipa. Arequipa is known as ¨La Ciudad Blanca¨ or The White City, because of Sillar, the white volcanic rock that many of the buildings are constructed of. Another less desirable byproduct of the volcanoes is a fine glassy dust carried by the wind to settle in a fine layerContinue reading “Majestic troublemakers”
Book Studies and Political Science Collide!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 Alvaro Meneses, Bibliographer, and Professor of Political Science at the University of San Pablo, paid a visit to our ¨conservation lab¨with his class today. Gary and Joyce talked about different book structures. Chris Ryan gave a brief talk on early books printed at the Oldest University in Spain which is in Salamanca.Continue reading “Book Studies and Political Science Collide!”
Ojos Halcones Take Peru by Storm
Monday , April 20, 2009 For a week and a half, Gary, Joyce, and I have been working in Arequipa, Peru at the Recoleta Monastery. We have been stabilizing and protecting damaged books. Many of these books have been damaged in earthquakes. They are in suprisingly good condition considering how old they are and what theyContinue reading “Ojos Halcones Take Peru by Storm”
Marcas del Fuego or Metal Brands
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 We are currently working in the library of the Recoleta Convent in Arequipa, Peru. One of the most interesting things we have come across in this collection are the Marcas del Fuego. Marcas del Fuego are metal brands that were used to burn identifying marks into books. They were usually an initial or symbol associated withContinue reading “Marcas del Fuego or Metal Brands”
Czech letter 3
Tuesday, April 7, 2009 This letter was simply dry cleaned, there was no mending needed. It was pretty flat already, but I put it between damp blotters and under weight to get rid of the small amount of warping. The sewing was stable and the manuscript dingy, but legible.