Title: News from the Preservation Office
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Permanent Link: http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00083040/00010
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Title: News from the Preservation Office
Physical Description: Book
Creator: University of Florida Libraries. Preservation Office.
Publisher: University of Florida Libraries
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Bibliographic ID: UF00083040
Volume ID: VID00010
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NOTES FROM PRESERVATION

Hide And Seek = Space And Time
.The young voice on the telephone is that of a Turk, Selim. "Bir dakika olsun is-
tirahat edelim," he says. "Let us rest, if only for a minute." He reminds me of
lines from a Thorn Gunn poem, "On the Move,"

"At worst, one is in motion, and at best,
Reaching no absolute, in which to rest,
One is always nearer by not keeping still."

With this wisdom, I believe that I either know how fast we are moving books
but not where they are, or, know where they are but not how fast we are mov-
ing them. Similarly, my father went bald not knowing why; but at least I know I
have a receding hair line because I am slowly pulling out hairs.

Books can be like young Turks and old men. They reveal their wisdom in
tongues or in riddles like poems. They can grow bald naturally or out of mis-
treatment. I have spoken too often but not enough about the diseases and de-
struction of books, about the plagues and pestilence which afflict them, and
about their protection and proper treatment. And now, I will take my moment
of rest. Yes, that's right! I am going to play god, pretending this is my seventh
day of creation, and just sit back and marvel at creation. The most marvelous
thing about young Turks and old men are.their tall tales and hidden stories. If,
then, books are like young Turks and old men, what might you expect to find?

Bookbinders have all manner of creativity; and books reflect this creativity in all
of their parts. But, what hidden stories do they hold. As library staff we have to
regard books for their words. We don't appreciate them enough for themselves.
So relax, kick back, and
take a look at some of
these hidden stories.

I recently attended a con-
ference at which the
stamping and embossing
of 19th century book cov-
ers was discussed. Ap-
parently, the hidden sto-
ry of these books could
Sbe found in secret marks
and designers initials. Il-
lustration 1A shows de-
tail copied from Char-
lotte Curtis Smith's Bob
Illustration A. Knight's Diary At Poplar
Hill School. Illustration
'2A shows detail copied
from George Barton's The Bell Haven Eight. Illustrations 1B and 2B show en-
larged detail; notice the designer's mark, "IOI". Illustration 1A attempts to hide
the mark in a pillow. Another example of the hidden mark is found in books
from Jas. A. Braden's The Auto Boys' Adventure series. Illustration 3 shows detail
from one volume which does not include a mark. Illustration 4, however, tries
to hide the mark in the apostrophe; not the initials, "CD".. These marks reveal
something of a book's printing history, and of the book artists rarely mentioned
in bibliographies. My favorite form of hidden story is hidden entirely from
view, and is found only as the book deteriorates. It is standard bookbinding
practice to line the spine with cloth and paper, then form the spine covering
over it. Once the spine covering is formed the lining lies hidden. I believe that
the spine lining can express.the soul of a book. In contemporary binding, we

continued on next page




line our spines with blank
paper. There is no soul
here! But, in times past,
spines were lined with
newsprint which captured
the day's events. That his-
tory, though hidden, be-
comes part of the book, as
much as the Kennedy and
King assassinations have
become a part of me.
Sometimes a binder would
use sheet music. I have
heard tales of someone
finding an original Mozart
manuscript lining the spine
of a Viennese prayerbook.
More commonly however,
lining was simply scrap
from dead books. Many
Yiddish books from Lithua-
nia survive only in these
scraps.


LAST SONGS
FROM
VAGABONDIA


At times, the spine lining
can have even more pro-
found meaning. It can
serve as the bookbinder's
equivalent of the poet's Illustration 6.
Illustration 6.
poem or
Sthe young
Turk's face, beaming on the other end of the connection.
Such examples of spine lining actually capture the spirit
and soul of the binder. Illustration 5 exemplifies the book-
binder as poet. Found on the spine of a 19th century histo-
ry, it depicts a funerary urn and reads, "Mark time dost
| thou?" Perhaps its binder was aware that his book would
decay, or that I would attempt to conserve it. (I relined the
I conserved book using an acid free copy of the original.)
Certainly, it expresses a sense of humor. Illustrations 6 and
7 exemplify what only a face can. Found in a copy of Bliss
Carman's Last Songs From Vagabondia, it depicts a willful
woman whose humble downcast glance has been waiting
over 60 years for us. Age and use have set her free. She
seems an answer to a riddle contained in "The Girl in the
Poster," a poem within the book.

"In a volume great and golden,
Would better beseem a sage,
Her downcast look is holden;
But I cannot see the page."

Do you think the three men on the cover tried to point her
out? It is unusual that lining should be so perfectly aligned.

SI hope you've enjoyed this idyll. Excuse me, I still have
that young Turk on the telephone.
Erich Kesse




Telnet

Delete? y.
05;42:07 03/22/90 FROM BM.FLP "Erich'Kease":
Barbara, This is this month's newsletter article.


HIDE AND SEEK = SPACE AND TIME.

The young voice on the telephone is that of a Turk, Selim.
"Bir dakika olsun istirahat edelim," he says. "Let us rest,
if only for a minute." He reminds me of lines from a Thom Gunn
poem, "On the Move,"

"At worst, one is in motion, and at best,
Reaching no absolute, in which to rest,
One is always nearer by not keeping still."

With this wisdom, I believe that I either know how fast we are
moving books but not where they are, or, know where they are but
not how fast we are moving them. Similarly, my father went
bald not knowing why; but at least I know I have a receding hair
line because I am slowly pulling out hairs.
Books can be like young Turks and old men. They reveal




LMULU INb
their wisdom in tongues or in riddles like poems. They can

grow bald naturally or out of mistreatment. I have spoken
too often but not enough about the diseases and destruction of
books, about the plagues and pestilence which afflict them,
and about their protection and proper treatment. And now,
I will take my moment of rest. Yes, that's right! I am going
to play god, pretending this is my seventh day of creation, and
just sit back and marvel at creation. The most marvelous thing
abput young Turks and old men are their tall tales and hidden
stories.' If, then, books are like young Turks and old men,
what might you expect to find?
Bookbinders have all manner of creativity; and books reflect
this creativity in all of their parts. But, what hidden stories
do they hold. As library staff we have to regard books for
their words. We don't appreciate them enough for themselves.
So relax, kick back, rest a minute, and let's take a look at
some of these hidden stories.
I recently attended a conference at which the stamping and
.embossig of 19th century book covers was discussed. Apparently,
the hidden story of these books could be found in secret marks
and designers initials. Illustration 1A shows detail copied.

HOLDING
from Charlotte Curtis Smith's-BOB KNIGHT'S DIARY AT POPLAR HILL
SCHOOL. Illustration 2A shows detail copied from George Barton's

THE BELL HAVEN EIGHT. Illustrations 1B and 2B show enlarged details
notice the designer's mark, "IOI". Illustration 1A attempts to
hide the mark in-a pillow. Another example of the hidden mark
is found in books from Jas-. A. Braden's THE AUTO BOYS' ADVENTURE
series. Illustration 3 shows detail from one volume which does
not include a mark. Illustration 4, however, tries to hide the
mark in the apostrophe; not the initials, "CD". These marks
reveal something of a book's printing history, and of the
.book artists rarely mentioned in bibliographies.
My favorite form of hidden story is.hidden entirely from
view,'and is found only as the book deteriorates. It is
standard bookbinding practice to line the spine with cloth and
paper, then form the spine covering over it. Once the spine
covering is formed the lining lies hidden. I believe that the
spine, lining can express the soul of a book. In contemporary
binding, we line our spines with blank paper. There is no soul
here! But, in times past, spines were lined with newsprint
which captured the day's events. That history, though hidden,
becomes part of the book, as much as the Kennedy and King




HOLDING
assassinations have become a part. of me. Sometimes a binder
would use sheet music. I have heard tales of someone finding
an original Mozart manuscript lining the spine of a Viennese

prayerbook, More commonly however, lining was simply scrap
from dead books. Many Yiddish books from Lithuania survive
only in these scraps.
At times, the spine lining can have even more profound meaning.
It can serve as the bookbinder's equivalent of the poet's poem
or the young Turk's face, beaming on the other end of the
connection. Such examples of spine lining actually capture the
spirit and soul of the binder. Illustration 5 exemplifies the
bookbinder as poet. Found on the spine of a 19th century
history, it depicts a funerary urn and reads, "Mark time dost thou?"
Perhaps its binder was aware that his book would decay, or that I
would attempt to conserve it. (I relined the conserved book using
an acid free copy of the original.) Certainly, it expresses a
sense of humor. Illustrations 6 and 7 exemplify what only a face
can. Found in a copy of Bliss Carman's LAST SONGS FROM VAGABONDIA,
it depicts a willful woman who humble downcast glance has
been waiting over 60 years for us. Age and use have set her
free. She seems an answer to a riddle contained in "The Girl

HOLDING
in the Poster," a poem within the book.

"In a volume great and golden,
Would better beseem a sage,

Her downcast look is holden;
But I cannot see the page."

Do you think the three men on the cover tried to point her
out? It is unusual that lining should be so perfectly alined.

I hope you've enjoyed this idle. Some of you asked that I
describe THE LIBRARY MOVES from the books' point of view.
In response to that request allow me to quote Thom Gunn's poem
again, "One moves with uncertain violence." Excuse me, I still
have that young Turk on the telephone.
Delete?




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