Module 1 – (Fall semester) Sept. 16 - Oct. 11, 2024

The History and the Materials of Library and Archival Documents

Module 1

Workshop, 100 hours

The Structure of Books and Their Material Components

Instructor: Konstantinos Choulis

1) Safety Issues in paper and book restoration workshops

  • Toxic materials and conditions in the laboratory

  • Toxic conditions found in the field

  • Prevention and safety

  • Instruments: Gloves, masks, eye protection, ventilation

  • Proper disposal

 

2) Organization of a restoration lab

  • Instruments, procedures, layouts

 

3) Definitions and glossary

  • Book structure, paper terms, and procedures

 

4) Facsimiles: As students study the nature of paper and books they will make a series of facsimiles of different historical book structures. The purpose is to give students a material and manual familiarity with the various components.

       • Signature sewing methods

Use several sewing methods on blank blocks without bindings: Chain stitch on single and double supports (leather – cords), packed, two-on, tapes

  •  End bands

Make several types of end bands

Primary sewing (single or double core)

Secondary – decorative sewing (colored threads)

Stuck-on end bands

  • Bindings

Make three bindings that illustrate components and range of process: soft cover, full leather raised cord, modern case binding

 

5) Identification of materials

  • Identifying writing media: Papyrus, parchment, paper types (handmade, oriental, machine made, coated, imitation)

  • Identifying Inks and other writing media: Carbon, graphite, chalk, pastels, soot, iron gall, printing ink, synthetic

  • Identifying writing and printing methods: Handwriting, wood block, movable type, typewriting, photocopy, photolithographs, Linotype, etc.

  

6) Identification of library and archival materials

  • Libraries: Scrawls, manuscripts, medieval codexes, printed books

  • Archives: Letters, certificates, diplomas, contracts, posters, passports, receipts – bills, diaries, drawings, architectural projects, photographs, maps, stamps, albums, free documents

 

Field trips (daily visits)

Fabriano

  • Parchment maker

  • Paper Museum

  • Modern paper factory

Module 1

Theory class 1, 24 hours

History of Writing and Writing Media

Instructor:

1)  History of writing (an overview)

  • Writing systems: Pictograms, Hieroglyphs, Ideograms, Cuneiform, syllabic, Abugida, Abjads, Alphabets

  • Evolution of writing: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China and East Asia, India, Mesoamerica, Mediterranean and Western Europe

  • Western Paleography / Codicology

 2)  History of writing media (an overview)

History of writing media (stone, bone, wood, bamboo, clay tablets, wax tablets, papyrus, palm leaves, bark, metal, parchment, paper)

  Handmade paper

  • History of paper (Chinese paper, Amate, Korean paper, Japanese paper, Indian paper, Middle Eastern paper.  Al-Andalus: Xativa; Italy: Fabriano, Amalfi, Treviso, France-Troyes, Holland; Germany: Nuremberg)

  • Types of handmade paper – raw material

    Plants (bark amate, bast fibers, rattan, mulberry, hibiscus, blue sandal wood)

    Rags (linen, cotton, hemp)

  • Paper molds – Far east, Islamic, and Western manufacture

  • Sizing materials (vegetable or animal matter)

  • Watermarks (chain lines/chiaroscuro/light and shade) and/or other marks in the paper sheet

  Machine-made industrial papers (after 1844)

  • Sources of materials (wood pulp containing cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin)

  • Sizing (starch; animal gelatin; aluminum potassium sulfate, AKA alum; rosin)

  • Paper formation process

Module 1

Theory class 2, 24 hours

History of the Codex and of Printing

Instructor:

1) History of the codex

  • The structure of bindings End leaves, pastedowns, sewing, boards material, board attachment, spine lining, end bands, book markers, covering materials and techniques, cover and spine decoration, edges, fastenings, furniture and other metal elements – chain

  • Evolution of bound books Nag Hamadi, St. Guthbert, Fulda, early medieval bindings, Oriental bindings, Western bindings, late medieval, Renaissance, modern bindings, contemporary bindings, industrial bindings, artist’s books, archival bindings       

2) Evolution of printing

  • Wood block Movable type - wood,  metal

  • Hot metal type Linotype, Offset, Flexography

3) Evolution of image printing

  • Woodblock/Silography, Intaglio (Engraving, etching), Planar (Lithography, serigraphy)

4) Modern printing processes

  • Photographic

  • Xerography

  • Offset

  • Laser printing

  • Dot-matrix

  • Ink jet

5) Handwriting inks (composition, features, chemistry)

  • Carbon ink

  • Iron gall ink

  • Printing ink

6) Modern inks (composition, features, chemistry)

  • Synthetic inks

 Field trip

 Visit to Art printing shop