Notice: Due to ongoing construction, 4 East is currently closed to the public.  To obtain items located on 4 East, please place an online request for the item to be paged for you using the ‘Place Request’ button in the catalog. Please visit our Circulation FAQ page for assistance in using our catalog.
Notice: Due to ongoing construction, 4 East is currently closed to the public.  To obtain items located on 4 East, please place an online request for the item to be paged for you using the ‘Place Request’ button in the catalog. Please visit our Circulation FAQ page for assistance in using our catalog.
Save America's Treasures

Rebind

When the binding has more than just damage along the spine, a rebind is called for. For this treatment the textblock is generally in good condition, although paper repair is not uncommon and occasionally a loose signature must be resewn. The book is disbound, i.e. the textblock is removed from its original binding. The original cover is repaired and then replaced onto the textblock. If the original is too damaged, a new cover is made. Often a combination is used, reusing as much of the original as possible and then substituting new materials to make the cover whole again. Materials used can include bookcloth, leather, Japanese paper and/or cotton muslin. As in all repairs, as much of the original as possible is saved.

Author:

Comstock, J. L. (John Lee), 1789-1858

Title:

An introduction to the study of botany; in which the science is illustrated by examples of native and exotic plants...Designed for the use of schools and private students.

Publisher:

New York, Robinson, Pratt, & co. [1832]

Call Number:

QK47 .C73 1832

Description:

viii, [9]-260 p. illus. 20 cm.

Permanent record:

https://catalog.lib.msu.edu/Record/folio.in00001528425

book with cracks and damage along spine

Zoomable Image

front view of book with cracks and damage along the spine

Zoomable Image

The cloth on this volume was cracked and damaged along the spine. The covers were at one time held on with adhesive tape, although the tape was no longer present, just the staining.

book with new cloth cover

Zoomable Image

front view of new cloth cover on book

Zoomable Image

The new cloth cover, with the original paper label adhered to the spine.

book inside cover showing tape marks and spine damage

Zoomable Image

There was also tape on the inside of the covers and on the first leaves (the endsheets were missing). The adhesive from the tape has left stains on the paper.
book showing new endsheets and some of the tape staining removed

Zoomable Image

New endsheets were added and the staining of the tape was minimized. Tape stains are sometimes impossible to remove completely.

Author:

Cummings, J. A. (Jacob Abbot), 1772-1820

Title:

An introduction to ancient and modern geography, on the plan of Goldsmith and Guy, comprising rules for projecting maps; with an atlas

Publisher:

Boston : Published and sold by Cummings and Hilliard, No. 1, Cornhill, Cambridge .... Hilliard & Metcalf, 1815.

Edition:

3d ed.

Call Number:

G125 .C965 1815

Description:

xx, 322, [1] p. II pl., diagrs. 17 cm. and atlas.

Permanent record:

https://catalog.lib.msu.edu/Record/folio.in00001520582

book where covers are held on with cloth adhesive tape

Zoomable Image

front view of book with cloth adhesive tape

Zoomable Image

The covers on this book were held on with a cloth adhesive tape. The marbled paper was very scuffed and faded.

front view of book with cloth adhesive tape

Zoomable Image

book with binding repaired and new cover

Zoomable Image

The new binding was done in leather and marbled paper, which would be very similar to what the original binding looked like.

book showing original endsheets with doodles and autographs

Zoomable Image

The original endsheets were preserved with the autograph and doodles.

Author:

Morse, Jedidiah, 1761-1826

Title:

Geography made easy: being an abridgement of the American universal geography

Publisher:

Boston: Published by Thomas & Andrews. Sold at their bookstore, no. 45, Newbury-street, and by West and Richardson, no. 75, Cornhill; by S. Wood and sons, New-York, M. Carey, Philadelphia; and by the principal booksellers in the United States... Ezra Lincoln, printer. Sept. 1818

Edition:

19th ed., and 7th of this new abridgement.

Call Number:

G125 .M85 1818

Description:

viii, [9]-364 p. : 2 fold. maps (incl. front.) ; 17 cm.

Permanent record:

https://catalog.lib.msu.edu/Record/folio.in00002363527

book with damaged spine with threads showing

Zoomable Image

front view of book with broken threads showing

Zoomable Image

The covers are not detached, they are in a very fragile condition. The thread sticking out from the front joint indicates the sewing is broken in the first few signatures.

view of spine of book after repair

Zoomable Image

view of front of book after repair

Zoomable Image

After the covers were removed and the sewing fixed, the cover was reassembled using Japanese papers.

book showing new endsheet added to the front

Zoomable Image

A new endsheet was added in the front. The repair to the title page can also be seen in the upper left-hand corner.
book showing restoration of the back endsheets

Zoomable Image

Even though the back endsheets were in poor condition, they were sound enough to reuse and the writing on the endsheet was preserved.

Author:

Ensign, S. Laura

Title:

Outlines in ancient, mediaeval, and modern history : for the use of teachers and pupils

Publisher:

Chicago, A. Flanagan, c1887.

Edition:

3rd ed.

Call Number:

D21 .E575 1887

Description:

261 p. : maps ; 20 cm.

Permanent record:

https://catalog.lib.msu.edu/Record/folio.in00002356343

view of spine of book appears fairly strong

Zoomable Image

view of the cover appears fairly strong from the outside

Zoomable Image

the inside of the back cover reveals damage

Zoomable Image

The spine and joint look fairly strong from the outside, the inside of the back cover reveals the damage.

view of the spine of the book after repair

Zoomable Image

view of the front after repair

Zoomable Image

The original cloth spine was reinforced with Japanese paper to make it strong again.

view of the inside of the back cover after repair

Zoomable Image

The covers were reattached using a thin, but strong, Japanese paper inserted underneath the endsheet.