Introduction

In 1818, the English diplomat and writer James Justinian Morier (c. 1780-1849) published A Second Journey Through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, to Constantinople, Between the Year 1810 and 1816. Similar to his first travel book, A Journey Through Persia . . . in the Years 1808 and 1809, published in 1812, A Second Journey offers an account of Morier's experience in Persia, present-day Iran. Although Morier's travelogues were met with critical acclaim, his first novel The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan, published in 1824, remains his most famous work. Editions of Morier's travelogues and novel are deposited in Columbia University Libraries. On the occasion of the exhibition Looking East: James Justinian Morier and Nineteenth-Century Persia, Columbia University Libraries Conservation Program performed book conservation on Morier’s Second Journey, as well as on an 1835 edition of Hajji Baba.1
 In addition to providing general remarks on book conservation, this paper discusses the treatment that these two books received, drawing on the expertise of Alexis Hagadorn, Head of the Conservation Program at Columbia.   

Book Conservation: An Overview

Designed to present and record the thoughts of humankind, the book has been a primary means of storing and retrieving information throughout history. However, the value of a book is not confined to the information that can be learned from its text and/or images. Typically made of paper, board, and covering materials such as leather, parchment, and cloth, a book is a complex and portable object. A result of the combined efforts of papermakers, printers, and bookbinders, every book has a material history of its own, reflecting the process involved in its making. For example, the rich textual and visual documentation characterizing Morier’s Second Journey speaks to the author's writing process and artistic output; however, beyond a combination of text and images, the book is also a material object and a cultural transaction. Considering the historical and cultural value of books, book conservation is a significant professional field in major research libraries and emerging non-profit regional centers. Book conservation efforts are meant to preserve unimpaired collections and prevent deterioration, while maintaining the historical and evidential information contained within the artifact.2

Every book, either rare or common, requires careful and specific handling. Accordingly, ethical codes about handling and conservation have been established to optimize the preservation of books. The standards of book conservation and the decisions on treatment procedures can be complex and involve many considerations. In each case, the initial examination of the book is a fundamental step, as it allows the conservator to gather information on the book's structural features, thus providing answers to questions such as how the book was made; when its binding was produced; and how the binding relates to the printed work itself. Following this initial assessment of materials, which amounts to an overview of the physical condition of the book, the conservator develops potential treatment options and evaluates the corresponding working hours. Before committing to any kind of treatment, the conservator may also discuss with curators, librarians, and other professionals the relationship between the physical features of the book and its historical characteristics, such as provenance.

The Importance of Bookbinding

Modern book conservation practice is firmly based on the knowledge and practice of bookbinding, which is “an outer cover and a mixture of thread and adhesives to hold the leaves of the book together in the right order, and protect them from damage.”3
As a conservation technique, bookbinding has evolved from its craft-based tradition roots. Rather than learning the practices of a single binding tradition and employing this more limited range of techniques on every book, as binders throughout history have tended to do, book conservators must incorporate a range of practices, and choose which to use by considering what is structurally optimal for the book, while respecting its historical integrity. The critical assessment of binding structures and materials prior to conservation treatment demonstrates the vast range of bookbinding techniques that exist, some more appropriate in a given situation than others. As John Mumford writes, “a fine binding may have been put on a book for a variety of reasons, including respect for the text, a wish to impress friends and visitors, a wish to influence a potential patron with a noteworthy gift, a wish to create a handsome presentation copy of an author’s own work, or a pure and simple love of nice objects.” In other words, each binding reflects a series of choices that become part of a book’s sociological history, and as such, ought to be appreciated and cared for. Furthermore, historic bindings, through traces of previous ownership such as “the names, initials or armorial bearings of former owners, and library markings showing how and where they were once stored,” may provide information on a book's provenance, as well as indicate the personal value that the book may have had for its owner.4

The binding of Morier's Second Journey was probably added after the book was acquired by a subsequent owner, approximately sixty or seventy years after the pages were printed. By contrast, the binding of the 1835 edition of The Adventures of Hajji Baba seems to be contemporary, or at least close, to the year of publication. Interestingly, a ticket from the binder is still affixed to the end of the book -- a piece of evidence that must be preserved and suggests a relationship between the publisher and this particular binder.

Standards and Ethics in Book Conservation

As an object made of multiple and separable components, a book may combine numerous forms of historical evidence that indicate period fashion and geographical provenance. In the words of the historian Christopher Clarkson, “the whole entity of the object, from its conception through every phase of its long history, creates a spell, as it were, which can be shattered so easily by any encroachment.” As a result, the bibliographical value of a book depends on the preservation of “the spontaneous and unconscious qualities inherent in the particular age,"5
 and any form of rebinding or radical repair may erase traces of the link between an owner and a book. Clarkson articulates the conservator's dilemma as follows: “If left undisturbed a text-block and its binding are of inestimable value to the development of bibliographical studies. While any encroachment by the restorer tends to lessen such value, nonetheless certain conservation and restoration activities often have to be carried out to assure an object’s stability and continued preservation.”6
 In this context, the objective of book conservation is to prolong the useful life of rare materials and preserve as much as possible the integrity of the single object. Regarding the development of the field, Clarkson observes, “rebuilding and rebinding must gradually become a far smaller part of the total preservation program. Instead refurbishing and rejuvenation must be promoted to a major priority.”7
 Reversible repairs rather than irreversible methods allow to better preserve the original components and structures of a book.

Treatment of A Second Journey (1818)

According to Alexis Hagadorn, Morier’s Second Journey, judging from the condition of the edge of the end sheets in comparison to the condition of other leaves in the book, has had at least two bindings. The first binding, made during the hand press era, shows that the binder added the end sheets after the printer had produced the printed leaves. However, when the binder of the existing binding received the book, it appears that he or she discarded the end sheets and the covers, and supplied new ones. The text block is in good condition, the pages show no tear, the paper is flexible, and the sewing is intact. However, some lining materials of the spine are not of good quality, which partially explains why the book was breaking down (Fig. 1). Based on this assessment, it was decided to apply moisture to the spine, which softens and swells the materials, i.e., allows to remove the old linings and adhesives without damaging the pages. Moreover, a new lining, including a first layer applied with a water-soluble adhesive, was attached to the spine (Fig. 2). In light of the conservation principle of reversibility, this first layer must remain easily separable from the original book. Accordingly, a natural and reversible adhesive was employed (paste or animal glue) rather than a synthetic adhesive. Conversely, the second lining was applied with a synthetic adhesive that created a flexible film on the spine that allows the book to open easily (Fig. 3). Flanges attached to the spine and an extension that connects the new boards were also added to the second lining. Fragments of the original spine were not reapplied due to poor quality. Nevertheless, they were saved. 

Even though the existing front cover of the book is not original, it was reapplied and stabilized, as it reflects the provenance of this particular copy. The Columbia University Libraries bookplate with the Phoenix collection designation printed on it appears inside the front cover, which suggests that the book was bequeathed to Columbia by Stephen Whitney Phoenix (Fig. 4). Other books featuring the same kind of binding exist within that collection, which suggests that these volumes were all sent to the same binder.

The pages of the book show some foxing, a form of deterioration that cannot be easily repaired. While applying a cosmetic treatment using bleach would allow to remove these brown spots, this treatment was not performed as it does not serve the book’s long-term preservation. In fact, current conservators working with library collections typically do not use bleach against foxing.8

Treatment of Hajji Baba (1835)

The second book repaired by the Columbia University Libraries Conservation Program for the exhibition is a later edition of The Adventures of Hajji Baba, first published in 1824, but this edition published in London in 1835 by Richard Bentley. As Hagadorn has observed, it is likely that this book's plain starched cloth binding was added by the publisher, however, to be certain one would need to survey other copies of the same edition. What we know, however, is that the kind of cloth on the binding has been used for a brief time in the 1830s (Fig. 5). In this context, the treatment should strive not to alter the appearance of the cloth or lose any of its details. Therefore, unlike the treatment performed on A Second Journey, fragments of the Hajji Baba’s original spine were reapplied so as to preserve the original appearance (Fig. 6). The paper is in fairly good condition, and the original lining was not removed as it is holding up well. However, the lining does not restrain the book enough; as a result, it opens too far (Fig. 7). One way to deal with this damage is to apply a folded piece of paper: one side is applied to the spine, and the other to the spine area of the cover. Therefore, the paper holds both parts together, while at the same time maintaining a hollow between them (Fig. 8). In other words, rather than forcing the spine area of the cover to move in a way that it was never meant to by attaching the spine to the cover (which would eventually cause damage), the conservator created a hollow that bridged the two parts. The hollow was made out of toned paper in order to be less distracting.9
 

Conclusion

Expertise in bibliographical studies and bookbinding is necessary for the historical assessment and interpretation of books. Individuals involved in conservation treatment decisions must have considerable knowledge to recognize unexpected and significant details that contribute to the unique history of a book. From the twentieth century on, conservators have been using both traditional and new techniques when performing book conservation, which may range from minimal to extensive treatment, depending on the date, format, and materials of the pages and binding. Conservators for library collections thus receive extensive training in order to develop the required judgment, practical skills, and knowledge about the evolution and interaction of various materials employed in the making of books.10

• 1Lane-Poole, Stanley. "Morier, James Justinian (1782–1849), diplomatist and novelist." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (8 Mar. 2018).
• 2Pilette, Roberta. Book Conservation within Library Preservation (Collection Management, 2007), 216.
• 3Mumford, John, David Pearson, and Alison Walker. Understanding and Caring for Bookbindings (London: National Preservation Office, 2006), 2.
• 4Mumford et al., Understanding and Caring for Bookbindings, 3.
• 5Clarkson, Christopher. The Conservation of Early Books in Codex Form: A Personal Approach: Part I (The Paper Conservator, 2010), 37.
• 6Clarkson, The Conservation of Early Books in Codex Form: A Personal Approach: Part I, 38.
• 7Clarkson, The Conservation of Early Books in Codex Form: A Personal Approach: Part I, 40.
• 8Hagadorn, Alexis. Discussion of Treatment Plan. Columbia University Libraries Conservation Program Lab. Columbia University, New York (28 Mar 2018).
• 9Hagadorn, Alexis. Discussion of Treatment Plan. Columbia University Libraries Conservation Program Lab. Columbia University, New York (28 Mar. 2018).
• 10Pilette, Book Conservation within Library Preservation , 219.