Received in the same week last month: a signed, limited edition Banksy print; a painting by ‘Eagle’ comic illustrator; a 17th century map of Northern England; Japanese paintings and a 17th century Irish text.
I love this job for its sheer variety and the fact that you never know what may arrive next!
Yes, it’s that time again…this Sunday, it is the second Antiquarian and Second Hand Book Fair of 2013, held in the beautifully renovated Tynemouth Station.
Polly Bird, the local bookbinder, will be sharing a stall with me so feel free to come along between 10am and 4pm and show us photos of any items which are concerning you, ask us any questions or just to say hello.
Here is a classic example of an ephemeral item which has now become a priceless national heritage. The recent donation of John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to three songs, including ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ , will surely be ranked as some of the British Library’s most treasured items.
For the full story, click here: http://pressandpolicy.bl.uk/Press-Releases/John-Lennon-Letters-and-Lyrics-donated-to-the-Nation-British-Library-first-institution-to-benefit-631.aspx
If you are interested in ephemera or would like to learn more about it, visit the website of the Ephemera Society for more information.
This is an interesting article I’ve just come across. What an amazing find and one which will add so much to our knowledge of the history of South and Central America:
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Conquistador-letter-found/29424
It’s always surprising what can turn up in archives. With the passage of years and archivists coming and going, the accumulation of large amounts of records and changes in technology, it’s not always easy to keep accurate records of everything within a collection. Old, handwritten records are a key example. Transcribing these to a digitised format takes time and money which most archives don’t have and if those hard-copy records are ever lost or damaged in a flood or fire, they are gone forever.
Volunteers often play a vital role in helping to input old records. If you’ve ever thought of volunteering in an archive or library, the Lit and Phil Library in Newcastle and the Ouseburn Trust’s archive both welcome volunteers to be involved in various tasks. Contact them for further details or follow this link to search for opportunities: http://www.do-it.org.uk/search/opportunities?unit=mile&distance=5&location=NE1+2BB
I thought I’d share with you this classic example of the damage that some framers can do. This was a very valuable print by a well-known contemporary artist, however, the poor workmanship by the framer had caused distortions and creases to what otherwise would have been a print in perfect condition.
The uneven application of this tape has restricted the paper from its natural expansion and contraction in response to changes in temperature and humidity. The side creases have been caused by pressure against the edge of the mount at the front.
This sort of carelessness really annoys me as it’s as if because the client is unable to see the back or inside once framed, some framers think they can get away with these short cuts.
I hasten to add that not all high street framers are this bad and I’m pleased to report that this particular high street chain framer has since gone out of business.
The lesson is, choose your framer carefully or it could end up costing you more in the long run. If the price is suspiciously low, there is probably a good reason. Don’t be afraid to ask to see examples of how items are hinged in or to ask what materials will be used and whether they are acid free. A good framer will be happy to show you their work, to explain their methods and to share his or her knowledge.
If you would like a recommendation of a framers in Newcastle, please contact me.
I’ve recently booked a short holiday to West Stow Anglo-Saxon village in Suffolk where I’m looking forward to watching a re-enactment of the magnificent mediaeval poem, ‘Beowulf’.
Beowulf, written by several anonymous scribes between the 8th and the early 11th century, is one of Britain’s most important surviving manuscripts and is recognised as one of the key texts of the British Libraries’ Cotton Collection.
I first saw a re-enactment several years ago on a great programme hosted by presenter, Michael Wood in 2009. The hour-long programme, (available here) investigated the evolution and history of the poem as well as it’s relevance to modern times, including along the way a trip to this region to visit the remains of the monastery of the Venerable Bede. The scenes of the misty fens and ancient buildings looming out of the fog mixed with the richness of the events which occurred in the area captured my imagination ever since.
If you have an interest in the Anglo-Saxon period and are based within the North East, I recommend a visit to Bede’s’ World, where Bede wrote the ‘Ecclesiastical History of the English Speaking People’ , a book which still today gives us a powerful insight into the life and times of the Anglo Saxons.
The studio will be closed for a short while from Thursday 30th May, re-opening on Wednesday 05th June.
Thank you.
I’ve just come across this recent Guardian article which highlights the astonishing variability of costs for UK researchers who want to photograph documents within archives: http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2013/may/23/history-research-costs-archive-fees
While some of the fees quoted may sound unreasonable, it’s true that we must also remember that archives are currently struggling to stay open, having suffered massive cuts to their funding.
If the fees are the answer to their existence, should we accept them? Or should the fees be standardised, with the possibility that a standard won’t help the differing financial positions across the country for each archive?
It’s a difficult predicament.
I’ve just come across this really good article by the Library of Congress, which describes the conservation treatment of a marriage document.
It describes really well some of the thought processes that must be applied to even the most simple of conservation treatments.
http://www.loc.gov/preservation/conservators/ketubbah/index.html
Well apparently, the Queen’s annual speech delivered today which sets out the priorities for Parliament for the coming year is traditionally written on goat skin parchment. However, due to cutbacks, the speech is now written on goatskin parchment paper.
Paper has long been adapted in this way to imitate parchment and the results can be difficult to distinguish. With the use of certain oils applied to the paper as well as particular techniques used during paper production such over-beating of the paper fibers before the sheet is formed, the process has long provided a cheaper but durable alternative material.
If you have family indentures which date from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, they may well be written on this paper. Look carefully for any hair follicles, a give-away of genuine parchment. But be careful; parchment paper is very vulnerable to moisture fluctuations and is best stored in a cool, dry environment.
Any speculation that this years’ speech was written in response to the recent local election results has been quashed by the confirmation from Downing Street that the ink took three days to dry!
For the BBC news report, go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22441280
Zoe Finlay Paper Conservation 