B o o k - C a r e

Hello and welcome!

My services include high quality book conservation, hand bookbinding and custom made protective enclosures, and will do all I can to meet your expectations.

A high percentage of my business is from repeat customers and referrals and I would welcome the opportunity to earn your trust.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. Below the images of book repairs is information on how to make an appointment to receive an estimate and treatment recommendations.

Please check back soon to see new projects and designed bindings for sale.

Examples of conservation treatments:

BEFORE TREATMENT:

A full leather Riviere binding (c.1890s) with a detached upper cover.

BEFORE TREATMENT:

Works of Shakespeare, 1901, Vols. I-VI. Original leather spines and paper spine linings have deteriorated.

AFTER TREATMENT:

Works of Shakespeare, 1901. Vols. I-VI.

Spines relined with tightly woven cotton textile and alkaline stock, then rebacked with black bookcloth & paper spine labels..

BEFORE TREATMENT:

A 1796 imprint was received with a recent paper cover adhered onto the outer leaves and spine of the text.

BEFORE TREATMENT (Same 1796 pamphlet): The leaves had been glued together along their inner margins creating a rigid structure vulnerable to breaking along the edges of the adhesive, and also obscuring some text.

BEFORE TREATMENT: The leaves had been glued together along their inner margins creating a rigid structure vulnerable to breaking along the edges of the adhesive, and also obscuring some text.

AFTER TREATMENT:

Cover reattached using toned long-fiber tissue on exterior joint and interior hinge.

BEFORE TREATMENT:

Works of Shakespeare, 1901, Vols. VII-XIII. Original leather spines and paper spine linings have deteriorated.

AFTER TREATMENT:

Works of Shakespeare, 1901. Vols.VII-XIII.

Leather spine fragments removed and used to recreate title information and original decorative pattern for all vols.

AFTER TREATMENT: A half leather binding with the spine titled in an appropriate late 18th century style was constructed. Handmade alkaline endpapers, selected to be sympathetic to the paper used in the 18th century publication, where sewn on to hinges extending from the spine lining making it unnecessary to adhere them to the title page or last leaf.

AFTER TREATMENT: Previous to rebinding, the modern paper cover and its remnants were carefully removed, and the leaves of the text were carefully detached from each other. They were then repaired where necessary with long-fiber tissue and wheat starch paste, then hand sewn through the folds with linen thread allowing for flexibility and a full view of the text.

AFTER TREATMENT: Previous to rebinding, the leaves were detached carefully, repaired where necessary with long-fiber tissue and wheat starch paste, then hand sewn through the folds with linen thread allowing for flexibility and a full view of the text.

How to Proceed:

Before bringing or sending any books for repair, please contact me by telephone or email so we can have a preliminary discussion about the condition(s) of your book(s), what would likely be involved in repairing them and an approximate cost.

If you need the work completed by a certain date, please let me know so that I can tell you right away if I can accommodate your time frame.

Following those steps, if you would like me to have look at the book(s) in person, so that I can provide written condition statements, treatment recommendations, and cost estimates, please schedule a time to bring them to my location, or arrange to send them.

Mailing address:

Nancy Nitzberg / Book-Care

7820 Spring Avenue

Elkins Park, PA 19027

Premises has 24-hour security.

Hours: By appointment only, please.

Thank you for your interest!

Nancy H. Nitzberg, Book Conservator and Owner
NanNitzberg@aol.com 215-635-4320