Conservation of Lady Chatterley's Lover

Thanks to the support of our Adopt a Book donors, we are able to conserve items such as this 1928 limited edition of Lady Chatterley's Lover by D H Lawrence. Adopt a Book conservator Lea Havelock shows, step by step, the conservation work she did on this volume which took a total of two days to complete.   

1. Before treatment showing old repairs, release of spine piece and loose board



2. Lifting of pastedown in preparation of consolidating board corners

3. Repair of board corners



4. Dry cleaning textblock with a sponge



5. Toning Japanese tissue with acrylic paints



6. Flattening creased corners with a tacking iron.



7. Preparation of new materials for spine covering and lining



8. Recovering of spine piece with toned Japanese tissue



9. Repair to textblock using Japanese tissue and wheat starch paste

10. Board showing removal of old repair

11. After treatment photograph showing repaired spine