NYAM Internship Portfolio

Valeria Kremser

Gladys Brooks InternshipSummer2008

Gladys Brooks Book and PaperConservation Laboratory

The New York Academy of MedicineMISSION

The New York Academy of Medicine advances the health of people in cities.

An independent organization, NYAM addresses the health challenges facing theworld’s urban populations through interdisciplinary approaches to policyleadership, education, community engagement and innovative research.

NYAM maintains one of the world's largest privately owned, but public, medicallibraries. The library contains over 800,000 volumes and 400 current journalsubscriptions, as well as more than 50,000 rare/important books, manuscripts,archives and artifacts dating back to 1700 BC.

HISTORY

December 12, 1846 - the first meeting was held.

January 6, 1847 - a constitution and organization bylaws were adopted, and the name, “The New York Academy ofMedicine”, was officially selected.

1875 - Votes to admit the public to its library, keeping daily hours—today, the Academy Library is the only medical andhealth library in New York City open to the public without charge.

1926 - Moves into its third and current home at 1216 Fifth Avenue.

1928 - Establishes the Rare Book and History of Medicine Collections of The New York Academy of Medicine.

1969 - Academy Library enters a long-standing relationship under contract with the National Library of Medicine as theRegional Medical Library for the Middle Atlantic Region.

1985 - Opens the Gladys Brooks Book and Paper Conservation Laboratory, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to preservinghistorical books and papers.

Internship Goals

To examine and apply book and paper conservationprinciples in a new environment.

To continue to develop my understanding of the stepsin determining conservation needs.

To continue to learn which materials and structures areappropriate for use in repairing, binding and storing rareor fragile materials.

To execute the agreed-upon conservation treatments.

Clam Shell with Pressure Flap

Pressure flaps are casecovers fitted to the size of avellum book and placedinside of a clamshell box toprevent the book fromwarping.

Physiological Histology of Man and Mammalian AnimalsIllustrated by microscopic preparations, with explanatory text and drawings

Object Assessment

Book, slides, and, and were covered in a layerof grime

Cases have structural damage

In need of new housing

Author: F. Sigmund English edition by C. Lovatt Evans

Imprint: London, Carl Zeiss, 1920


Treatment

Surface cleaned slide cases and book with vulcanized rubber sponges.

Cleaned slides with deionized water and cotton swabs.

Stabilized cases by mending tears.

Wrapped each tray of slides in Permalife paper for easier handling.

Created a special clamshells for the slides and their accompanying book.

Created a shoe for the slide and book boxes.


before treatment


during treatment

Blotter pieces wereused to build up thespace between thesides of the tray todry mended areas.


during treatment

Clips with board were usedto secure the two bottomtrays for the slides together.


after treatment

Edinburgh Dissector or System of Practical Anatomy:for the use of students in the dissecting room/by a Fellow of the College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Author: College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Imprint: London, P. Rickardson, 1837

Object Assessment

Spine & lining detached

Taped spine label

Broken sewing & Loose signatures

Edinburgh Dissector or System of Practical AnatomyTreatment

Surface cleaned cover and text block with vulcanized rubber spongesand a cotton cloth.

Used Laponite to remove spine label.

Removed remaining adhesive from the spine and cover using cottonswabs and water.

Removed inside linen hinges and adhesive.

Added new cords to sew loose signatures on to.

Removed old spine lining and added multiple new linings.

Placed old spine pieces on new toned paper spine.

Hinged inside joints.

Edinburgh Dissector or System of Practical Anatomy

before treatment

before treatment



during treatment

Spine label removal using Laponite.


during treatment

New cords were added to sew the loose signatures back on to.


after treatment

after treatment


Diseases of the Ear

Author: John Nottingham

Imprint: London, J. Churchill, 1857

Object Assessment

Cover partially detached

Worn hinges between spine and boards

Broken sewing & Loose signatures

Diseases of the Ear

Treatment

Surface cleaned cover and text block with vulcanized rubbersponges & cotton cloth.

Added new cords to sew loose signatures on to.

Removed old spine lining and added multiple new linings.

Added a tube to create a false hollow.

Placed old spine pieces on new toned paper spine.

Hinged inside joints.

Diseases of the Ear

before treatment

Diseases of the Ear

before treatment

Diseases of the Ear

after treatment

Diseases of the Ear

after treatment

Barney Baldwin the Only Living Man with a Broken Neck

Object Assessment

Cover had losses

Internal paper acidic & crumbling

1 rusty staple of 2 staples remain.

Author: J.B. Luckie M.D.

Imprint: New York, 1888


Treatment

Surface cleaned cover with vulcanized rubber sponges.

Removed rusty staple.

Separated pages and mended tears using toned heat set tissue.

Mended cover with toned Japanese paper and wheat starch paste..

Encapsulated pages using 2 mil Mylar.

Created a fixed post binding to hold the encapsulated pages.


before treatment


before treatment


during treatment

Documents being deacidified with Bookkeeper.


after treatment


after treatment

German-Austrian Tour of the American Gynecological Club

Object Assessment

Cover has severe red rot and is edged with tape

Pages stable with some tears and abrasions

Photographs silvering

Author: The American Gynecological Club

Imprint: New York, 1912

German-Austrian Tour of the American Gynecological ClubTreatment

Surface cleaned pages in need with vulcanized rubber sponges.

Mended large tears and reattached loose fragments.

Removed leather cover.

Cut out & consolidated gold tooled title off front cover.

Removed inside covers and removed adhesive from tape using ethanol.

Used black acrylic paint and methyl cellulose to even tones were color/shine may havebeen lost from solvent treatment.

Cleaned metal hardware with a cloth to remove rust.

Created a new cover cloth and paired leather spine with an inset for the old label.

Completed a clamshell box to house the repaired album.


before treatment


before treatment

Album had special flap on the inside cover to hide hardware vellum holding tabs in place.The tabs allow for additional pages to be added or removed.


during treatment

The new covers were clipped for acouple of minutes until dry enoughto transport to the nipping press.The area adhered to the hardwarewas then pressed with a layer offelt in order to keep the metalhardware from being crushed.

The inside covers were cleaned andsaved because of their specialconstruction. There is a flapattached to cover the hardwareholding the pages in place.


after treatment


after treatment

Cole Collection No.53

Object Assessment

Pages fairly clean

Housing stable

Iron gall inks beginning to deteriorate thepaper

38 manuscripts in praise of Francesco Redi, withhandwritten comments by Redi.

Author: Various

Imprint:


Treatment

Surface cleaned documents with vulcanized rubber sponges.

Assigned documents letters for collation.

Interleafed documents with Holytex.

Washed objects in deionized water after saturating with ethanol.

Bathed documents in a calcium-phytate solution followed by a calcium bicarbonate bath.

Dried objects until damp using racks and suction table.

Resized documents using 2% gelatin solution.

Dried documents interleafed with Holytex and blotter under light weight.


Documents receiving ethanol bath.


Documents being placed in their first water bath.


Preparing the calcium bicarbonate solution. Calibrating the digital PH meter.


Preparing the calcium-phytate solution.


Placing the calcium-phytate solution in tray.


Documents being tested for Iron(II) ions.


Documents being smoothed and slightly dried before being resized.


Documents being resized andreadied for flattening.


Items after flattening.

I would like to thank:Anne HillamErin AlbrittonAlegria Barclayfor all their help and support these past two months.

The library staff for welcoming me into theirsanctum during my time at NYAM.

And my friends at CCAHA:

Soyeon Choi Stephanie LussierSamantha Sheesley Francoise RichardAndrew Suggs

For helping me find supplies & handouts,organizing tours of conservation labs, andanswering presentation questions.