Nancy,
Given the direction that this thread seems to be taking, I have a question FOR YOU: are these books covered in red leather whose dye is transferring to users' hands OR are they covered in red leather AND have "red rot" OR are they covered in leather (whatever color) AND have red rot? Your description of "red leather bleeds" suggests, to my mind, NOT red rot but something else entirely.
Sorry if that sounds painfully precise, but a conservationally-sound solution could be best arrived at by knowing precisely what is at hand. Susan Hamburger's book jacket solution are probably the most sound compromise of what has been posted so far...the only caveat I have with using Mylar jackets on red rotted material is you should be sure and make flaps that cover all the edges of the book's boards...other wise you will continue to get particles off of the rotting leather head and tail edges. When I was at the HRHRC, we experimented with using Klucel-G in an
alcohol solution (methyl cellulosic solutions in water and red rot DO NOT mix well! Really, water and red rot do not mix) on a black sheepskin binding that was experiencing red rot. The results were inconclusive.
Dennis "Once was a book conservator" Moser
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From: Nancy Iannucci
Reply To: Nancy Iannucci
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2002 07:18
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: 1814 Red Leather stains
Hello All,
Happy Friday to you!
Can anyone tell me if there is a special "safe" solution that I can apply to leather bound books? I have a number of ledgers and journals that have red leather covers. There's some interesting information that students can use from these ledgers for their history assignments. It would be great if they could handle the books to read from them. At the present, if these books are handled- the red leather bleeds and stains your gloves. I would like to prevent these books from bleeding. Is there a product I can use that will provide a safe solution?
Thanks for your help in advance.
Nancy Iannucci
EWS Archives
niannucc@emmawillard.org