Portfolio
Below are a range of examples of recent restoration work I've undertaken. In each case, I've provided a "before" and "after" shot to illustrate the repairs, as well as some basic information on the book in question.
Don't Cry For Me: An Autobiography (2006)
This well loved paperback autobiography of Arthur Leggett, signed by the author, had seen better days, with the pages coming completely away from the paper cover. The WA Bush Poets and Yarn Spinners Association Library were keen not to lose it, and asked for a repair.
I converted it into a hard-cover book, while retaining the front and back illustrations.
I fixed and re-sewed all the loose pages, reinforced the spine, then recased the book, having inlaid the original covers into the final version.
The end result is a sturdy and handsome volume which will survive for many more years.
A Prayer Book for Australia (1995)
One of our local Anglican parishes was worried that their prayer books, which had seen more than twenty years of faithful service, would need to be replaced on account of their condition.
Instead, I was able to remove the old spines, put in new spine strengtheners, hinges, and cloth corners, replaced the end papers, and rebound each volume.
The set of twenty took approximately three weeks to repair, from start to finish.
Family Bible (1874)
This family bible from 1874 came to me with a badly cracked spine.
I removed the lose spine, to allow access to the inner binding, where I was able to secure a number of loose pages. I also re-fixed the original end papers with new cloth.
After I had fixed the interior, I attached a new, matching leather spine, tidied up the old back strip, and re-fixed it on top of the new leather.
Through all of this, I had to work carefully around the brass clasp that sealed the original book.
It certainly wasn't a quick job - it involved a lot of work, and a lot of waiting while the leather was stretched and set. The end result was worth the effort though.