Research in Book and Paper Conservation in Europe

This publication attempts to give an overview of the state of the art of research in book and paper conservation- restoration in Europe through a summary of articles published in that field. It illustrates the richness and variety of results in research involved in and needed for the daily practical work of preservation and conservation-restoration of books, prints, drawings and other works of art on paper, leather and parchment as well as papyrus, i.e., the materials found in libraries, archives, museum collections and print and drawing collections. The contributions in this publication are however by no means exhaustive of the rich variety of topics in book and paper conservation. Rather they provide distinct insights into conservation-restoration and will hopefully facilitate discussion on the need for much more intense research in the field. These isolated insights begin with a study of the type of databases that can help a conservator get a quick overview of the problem at hand. The first example discusses how a database helps to identify the material, the second to understand the history of the discipline. The database of Finnish papers studied here is a good illustration of how this tool can be used to properly analyze material and shows some of the more technical aspects of the use of a database. Databases can also serve as banks of knowledge on the history of conservation research, as illustrated in the subsequent chapter of this paper. The next chapter is an excursion into the field of university-based study. The article is from the author`s thesis, one of the first PhD theses written by a conservator, and yet the academic chair was in museology rather than conservation. Although education in conservation is not the topic of this book, higher academic studies equal research. So it does make sense to mention the lack of higher education in conservation. Unfortunately we still do not have university chairs in Paper Conservation in every large European country and even when there are, teachers often come form another field, such as art history, and are not themselves conservators. René Larsen discussed this situation already in 1998 and unfortunately it has not changed significantly since. There is as well the enormous task of "establishing" many technical conservation terms in so many European languages - serious work in just one language alone. An important part of research is also the development of new materials and tools significant for conservation. A recently developed gel exemplifies the introduction of new materials. Preventive conservation and treatment of originals are the themes of articles dealing with new packing material, new storage facilities and surface cleaning techniques. One of the most routinely required treatments in conservation can be aided today by newly developed laser technologies, which is covered in the two subsequent contributions. The study of Armenian inks points out one way of approaching the understanding of material. This publication indicates what is being done at the moment in the field of research in book and paper conservation in Europe and indirectly points out what is still lacking. B o o k conservation and the related areas of leather, parchment and bookbinding conservation are significantly underrepresented in the field of research. Conferences, cooperation between institutions, networks and databases (a good example of which is the IDAP data collection and knowledge sharing system), important as they are, are too limited and clearly insufficient. Although Europe has been united and enjoying many of the benefits of integration now for decades, there is still not a single common research organization to bring together the efforts and experiences of European conservators nor function as a data service point and s i n g l e entry gate for all related research activity. Further development of university- based research in the field is necessary and highly relevant . However a real breakthrough will only come about if we build a broader base of support among the European public for the preservation of our common cultural heritage. European society must realize the need for protection of its books and conservators have a major role to play in achieving this understanding. The importance of books in our common cultural heritage can`t be overestimated. The article dedicated to the "negative balance", the loss of libraries over the centuries, has this very problem at its core. Preserving every single book or drawing is of course romantic, wishful thinking. The methods of selecting objects for conservation are discussed in the final contribution. This article deals with the mysteries of the profession where decisions, it appears, are not always based on logical argument but too often dictated by the prevalent tastes or preferences of a particular period. The article also discusses the need for access to a wide range of older languages for proper interpretation of and differentiation between historical craftsman`s advice and "spells", a distinction that can be quite difficult as some treatises contain cryptic paragraphs. The book touches on all three areas of study: basic research, applied research and experimental development, and questions where the profession presently is in book and paper conservation research in Europe. It hopes to serve as a starting point for decisions that need to be made and a tool to guide (political) authorities in the making of those decisions. This book is also meant to aid those who are organizing research funding. Although the situation is gradually improving, more generous financial support would mean that conservator - restorers could concentrate more exclusively on their research. We hope to assist as well other efforts undertaken in the field - e.g., by E.C.C.O., the "European Confederation of Conservator-Restorer`s Organisation". A common European research centre would additionally underline the need for such specific funding , help to avoid duplicate research activity and thus improve the efficient use of available resources. At the moment it is regrettably not possible to perform research in book and paper conservation to the extent really needed. This fact cannot be repeated too often. Colleagues in universities, national libraries or other major collections, while doing their best, are nevertheless unable to meet all the needs for research, nor is it their only job. However the daily demands of conservators, situations in which conservators are simply confronted with requests that cannot be met due to lack of knowledge and the fact that our cultural heritage is rapidly decaying all clearly place upon our profession an important responsibility to act. To give an example: for over one hundred years research has sought to prevent iron gall ink corrosion. We still do not have a complete solution to this problem that is literally eating away at a high percentage of our written heritage. Nor has a solution been found for the problem of softening alum-tawed leather. Nor a way to stop the wrong type of lubrication for vegetable tanned leather. These are only a few examples. Books and works of fine art on paper have transited from one part of Europe to another through donation, commerce or as spoils of war . This means that conservators throughout Europe face many of the same problems. They are confronted with similar materials, techniques and contents in books, prints and drawings. This situation creates the opportunity for a fruitful common approach. Our common European cultural heritage, as expressed in the "Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict" (the Hague, 14th May 1954) as well as in organisations like the E.C.C.O. (the European Confederation of Conservator-Restorer`s Organization), ENCoRE (the European Network for Conservation-Restoration Education), ICOM (the International Council of Museums, ICOM-CC (the ICOM Committee for Conservation), ICCROM (the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and the Restoration of Cultural Property), IADA (the International Association of Book and Paper Conservators) and many other institutions, is well represented. Yet there is no single European centre for research in book and paper conservation where professionals would find a common home to perform and contribute to conservation-restoration research. René Larsen, in 1998, published an outstanding paper defining the science of conservation-restoration . He expressed his opinion that the establishment of conservation science in Europe had just started and foresaw the creation of a European Centre for Basic Research in Conservation- Restoration within 25 years. ICCROM, founded in 1956,could have taken up this challenge. They did establish further education on the highest level. (The first example outside Rome was Horn, Austria, in 1991 where the editor has had the honour to be course assistant.) Now, 10 years after Larsen`s call for action, the moment is certainly ripe for a step in this direction. It`s time efforts were combined and much more cooperative work begun in the field of conservation research. The cultural heritage involved is too valuable, too important for mankind, for us not to work together in all respects. This effort must be aided by an exchange and far deeper sharing of possibilities and resources in all three areas of basic, applied and experimental conservation-restoration research in European book and paper conservation. The historic enterprise of building a united Europe is destined to succeed or fail at the grass-roots level. This is true for all specific areas of human activity. Research in the preservation of culture, and books in particular, is one of the areas where much closer common effort is long overdue. quoted Literature: Larsen, René (1998) The Science of Conservation - Restoration in 25 Years School of Conservation. Preprints of the Jubilee Symposium 18 - 20 May 1998 Konservatorskolen, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi (1998) pp. 77-85 Larsen, René (1998) Definizionedella scienza della conservazione e della formazione scienta del conservatore restauratore. CAB NEWSLETTER, Anno 3, n.4 (luglio-agosto 1998), noava serie. pp. 2-4 ¹Larsen (1998), pp. 77-85; Larsen (1998), pp. 2-4 ²http://www.idap-parchment.dk/portal/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=186 [15^th August 2009] ³There are less than 20 universities all over Europe offering studies for paper conservation and not all of them are really specialized in book conservation (http://www.encore-edu.org/encore/DesktopDefault.aspx? tabindex=1&tabid=155) [21^st May 2009] ⁴For this see also the contribution by Ernst Fischer