Digitisation
is a great way to make unique and fragile manuscripts more available both for
study and pleasure. The images can be accessed at any time of day and from
anywhere in the world, without the risk of damage inherent in physically
handling manuscripts. But before a British Library manuscript can go to the imaging studio to be photographed, it receives a
condition assessment. A conservator
looks at various aspects of the manuscript and its binding to decide if it can
go straight to the imaging studio, or needs some minor repairs or preparation
first, or should not be photographed at this time.
Harley
MS 4051-4052 The textblock has split right
down the spine – damage seen frequently in older bindings where the leather is
adhered directly to the spinefolds.
Often the endbands also break, but here they have detached. The book also has poor openings with much
text hidden. It will be listed for full
conservation before digitisation.
Much
of the time of a digitisation project conservator is spent on these condition
assessments in order to answer one simple question: can this item be
photographed safely? To make an informed decision, we look at each manuscript
fully, recording its overall condition and specific damage - a process that may
take an hour or more. We have standard risk assessments for activities such as
taking a book from a shelf and delivering it to another location, but must
estimate the likelihood of further damage during imaging for each item. Along the way, we record other useful
information (such as size) and note any problems that need to be resolved.
Royal
MSS 16 C V & VI. Two textblocks of
different sizes have been bound together making both vulnerable to edge damage
and the entry of dirt. Both manuscripts
also have wax seals, which can leave pressure marks and abrasions on
surrounding leaves and are themselves easily broken if the pressure on them is
uneven. Cleaning is needed before
imaging, and extra care during it.
Damage
is recorded systematically. Bindings are
checked for split joints, loose sewing, degraded leather and suchlike, and the
book’s normal opening angle is photographed. The textblock material is inspected: if paper, is it brittle or weak?; if
parchment, is it gelatinised? Are there tears or missing areas, dirt, stains or
mould-damage? We pay special attention
to folds or pleats that hide text – opening them repeatedly risks damage at the
creases. What about the inks and pigments? Are they corrosive or flaking? Are there signs that they are fugitive to light or water?
Egerton
MS 2745 f.164 Damp and mould have not only
discoloured the parchment but made it weak and inflexible, resulting in
splitting. Many damaged folios of this
manuscript were repaired and supported before it was last rebound, and it does
not need further conservation before imaging, as the remaining weakness is
unlikely to get worse.
If
the assessment suggests the item cannot safely be imaged as it is, the
conservator then notes mitigations. Simple
preparatory work might include some surface cleaning of areas that are very
grimy, to prevent dirt transferring from folio to folio as the book is handled.
We generally indicate a maximum opening angle and may specify particular
handling techniques, or allow the imaging technician extra time to set up heavy
or over-sized items. The conservator can also request additional support from Collection
Care during imaging. In extreme cases,
conservators may do all the handling themselves.
Egerton
MS 2787 The sewing has broken and several
gatherings are loose. There is some risk
that folios will be lost, but this kind of damage also makes it difficult to
handle a bound manuscript properly during imaging without causing more
harm. Conservation is estimated at 2
hours.
Minor
conservation treatment must sometimes be undertaken before digitisation. Often the binding is damaged: a board must be
reattached or leather with red rot requires consolidation. Not all damage to the textblock needs
intervention, but the project conservator will usually secure loose folios, repair
tears that compromise the text, support areas affected by mould that might
become more damaged by handling, and consolidate flaking pigments. An estimate of the time required for this
work is made during the assessment.
Egerton MS 2808 typical opening Although the
binding of this volume is undamaged, it does not open well enough to image all
the text. Removing the spine leather and
linings requires an ethical judgement and is also time-consuming, especially
since this is an oversized, heavy and very thick book which requires two people
for safe handling.
Not
every item we want to digitise is a bound book. Loose single sheets are easy to image flat, but unbound material is more
easily damaged and may have torn and folded edges. When single sheets have fastenings to keep
them in groups, these need to be removed before imaging and replaced
after. The conservator assesses the time
required to do this. Rolls can be imaged
flat, but will be done in sections if they are long, and temporary cores must
be provided for rolling/unrolling. Mounted objects can also be imaged flat, but require special handling,
and thus take longer. Historically, some
parchment and much papyrus has been mounted between glass, and there may be
difficulties in getting good images without reflections.
Royal
MS 1 D II Bound in vellum, which is extremely durable, but becomes inflexible
as it ages. Here, repeated opening of the book has caused the joint to split,
also damaging the endpapers. The
conservator will do minor repairs to prevent the board detaching or moving out
of position.
The
conservator’s role is to facilitate digitisation and make our manuscripts more
accessible, so when would we decide a manuscript should not be digitised? Very occasionally, an item is just so large
and/or heavy that it cannot be photographed safely with our existing equipment. In other cases, the scribe has given us a
problem by writing text up to (and even around) the spine-fold. Even if the
book opens well, parts of words will be missing in the photographs. The only way to access the complete text
would be to disbind the book - something we rarely do, especially if it means
altering an historic binding. (We understand that the physicality of a book,
the materials used, the original binding technique, the stains and damage, also
give important information to readers). Finally, an item that requires
significant conservation may be excluded, because there is insufficient project
time and funding to do the work.
Add.
MS 82957, a 12th century Menologion damaged by water, mould and rodents. The estimate for full conservation of the
manuscript is 745 hours. It was decided
to spend just 58 hours on the most necessary repairs prior to digitisation. The conservator will accompany the manuscript
to the imaging studio and do all the handling. Issue of the manuscript will
remain restricted until full conservation can be completed.
All
the time that goes into condition assessments pays off. Up to 25% of items need some kind of
intervention before photography, but most take just a few minutes to ensure
that the manuscripts will not be further damaged during the imaging process. We
are committed to making many more of our manuscripts available to researchers
in this way, and to enrich the cultural life of the nation through these unique
and beautiful artefacts.
Ann Tomalak, Conservator, Greek Manuscripts Digitisation Project
