Linen cords laced into oak boards
Earlier this week I completed work on rebinding the Book of Llandaf.Throughout it’s time in the library’s Conservation Treatment Unit I felt privileged to have the opportunity of working on this volume not least because it is one of the oldest manuscripts to receive treatment in the conservation workshop.
The volume was last rebound in 1892 at the by a binder who unfortunately decided to guillotine all the spine folds away before whip-stitching the leaves into gatherings, effectively perforating every leaf near its spine edge. Hot gelatine glue was then applied to the spine, resulting in glue penetration which encroached in places over some areas of script. I spent roughly one month softening and removing this adhesive and paper repairs from the edges of leaves which had by now become acidic and brittle. The leaves were then relaxed and flattened before being digitised to be made available on the library’s Digital Mirror before being returned to the unit for repair.
Covering in tawed calfskin
The methods used in 1892 to bind the Book of Llandaf were sometimes still being used up until the 1940’s and employed techniques more suitable for the binding of printed books. Fortunately these practices are now recognised as being unsuited for vellum manuscripts which require greater spine flexibility and freedom of movement for the vellum leaf. Unfortunately many of the library’s most important manuscripts bound in the 1930’s and 40’s are bound with excessively rounded and inflexible spines that restrict the natural expansion and contraction of their vellum leaves, thereby causing strain and damage even when the volumes are not in use.
I must mention two members of the unit who helped with the manuscript. Elgar Pugh was responsible for joining the leaves together into bifolia and for repairing other areas using new toned parchment and Dilwyn Williams who made a drop-back box for the binding.
After sewing the manuscript on five double linen cords laced into Welsh oak boards, I covered it in white alum tawed calfskin, an extremely durable leather used by bookbinders since medieval times.
Julian Thomas
Manager of Conservation Treatment Unit