Survey on parchment and vellum

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I am beginning to do research for an MA testing three adhesives in
the repair of damaged parchment/vellum on or near the sewn fold of a
text block.  Please answer any or all questions as specifically as
you can and as soon as you can.

    1.  When repairing parchment/vellum that is torn or cut, what
        kind of adhesive(s) do you use?

    2.  Has the location of where the repair is on the page
        determined what kind of adhesive or repair you have used in
        the past? Explain.

    3.  If you have ever repaired parchment/vellum on or near the
        sewn fold, what method and materials (including percentage
        of adhesive) did you use?

    4.  What, in your experience, causes the most damage on or near
        the sewn fold excess glue directly on the sewn fold or cuts
        caused by the removal of images near the spine fold?

    5.  Do you favour the concept of like-with-like repair in that
        you only use animal glues for parchment/vellum repair why or
        why not?

    6.  Have you ever worked with isinglass in the repair of
        parchment/vellum why or why not?

    6a: Russian Isinglass is no longer available due to Caspian
        Sturgeon on the endangered species list so most Isinglass
        comes from German farms now.  Have you noticed a difference
        between Russian Isinglass and German Isinglass?  If you find
        that there are some environmental problems with farmed
        sturgeon, are you likely to continue using it?

Katie Smith


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 23:44
                    Distributed: Sunday, May 9, 2010
                       Message Id: cdl-23-44-010
                                  ***