After the Civil War, thousands of these large bibles were produced in the United States and have become important family heirlooms for many people. Unfortunately, they are often stored in attics and basements, exposed to excessive heat, cold, water damage, and dry rot. Coupled with the low quality materials used to cut costs in their construction, this has resulted in many of them in poor condition today, and in dire need of repair and restoration.
This particular bible was brought in with the covers significantly weathered, corners worn off, and the spine totally separated from the covers and the text block. The interior hinges were also torn apart, but the pages were in surprisingly good condition, with only a few minor tears.
One of the main reasons this book deteriorated is because it was covered with bonded leather, which is made from leather fibers glued together and coated to look like genuine leather. This material, although it looks and feels authentic at the start, does not withstand decades of use or neglect. It can quickly turn brittle and flake off or tear apart. (This can easily be seen with modern personal bibles and journals, also usually made with bonded leather, which tend to fall apart after only a few years of use.)
Bonded leather can not be fully restored, but because the original artwork on this book’s covers needed to be saved, I did what I could to bring it back to life. I carefully treated it with different leather products until it regained some of its strength and flexibility, then dyed all of the areas where the old color had been worn off. The corners of the covers were patched with new material and dyed to match.
The text block was in very good condition, so there was no need to re-sew all of the pages. I still chose to scrape off the old glue and re-glued it with extra mull for reinforcement. I cleaned and repaired the old endcaps and replaced the bookmark ribbon, which was in tatters. The spine was rebacked with high quality genuine leather, which will remain strong for much longer than the original bonded leather. Finally, I glued the old spine back over the new one to preserve its original appearance.
In the end, my customer was able to take away a rejuvenated family heirloom to enjoy for decades to come.
J.D. Smirl 