Peachey Conservation

January 7, 2019January 7, 2019

Paring Leather in a Continuous Strip Two Times Around

I’m using a M2 Hybrid knife to edge pare this small rectangle of vegetable tanned goatskin all the way around two times, without breaking the pared strip.

The trick is to reverse the direction of the knife by pushing it to turn the corner.

December 29, 2018December 29, 2018

FAIC Oral History Interview Project

The FAIC (Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation) oral history interview project is a little-known resource documenting the carreers of individual conservators; almost 400 have been interviewed since the 1970s. More information about the history of the project and how to access the transcriptions here.

The interviews often provide revealing insights into their lives, education, work history, and observations concerning the current state of conservation. Book conservators interviewed include Paul Banks, Tony Cains, Jim Canary, Chris Clarkson, Deborah Evetts, Peter Waters, and most recently, me. I’m unaccustomed to such illustrious company!

It was a lot of fun to be intensely interviewed for over two hours, think about my own history, and about the massive changes in book conservation that have occurred during the past 30 years. If this topic interests you, also check out “Outside of the Text: My Work in Book Conservation” and “A Future for Book Conservation at the End of the Mechanical Age“

December 18, 2018December 18, 2018

Calf, sheep, goat, or pig. And deerskin?

Calf, sheep, goat or pig. It seems 99.9% of leather books are made with one of these these. But other types of leather are always a possibility. For example, deerskin was commercially available for bookbinders in the early 19th century North America. The above advertisement, from D.K. Van Veghten, implies it is a new innovation he is introducing to the market. Given the large numbers of deer — even now — I wonder if this it was all that new. After all, muskrat or beaver are not unheard of in the 18th century. It is best not to become blasé with leather identification.

Below is a vegetable tanned deerskin, with two bullet holes. It was shot by my Grandfather between 1946 – 1954, and he had it vegetable tanned. He also had a couple of heads mounted on the wall of his living room. Deerskin is softer and stretchier than sheepskin, and the grain is more pronounced in this example. Because of the stretch, it is difficult to pare, even with the best paring knife in the world. Possibly different vegetable tanning methods would have made it look more like calf. Most of the examples I’ve seen on books are very similar to calf, and a delaminating grain layer is often a clue that it is in fact sheep. D.K. Van Veghten’s advertisment also mentions it is quite similar to calf, but 25% cheaper.

I don’t think of the deer when I look at the deerskin below, but of my Grandfather. The bond between things and memories is strong. I can’t bring myself to use this partial skin. The familiar curse of a precious material; it’s too nice to use. So it languishes, only to be written about.