Condition report on receipt

CONDITION ON RECEIPT. Bench 41. B. L. Vey.

Binding. Full calf over boards, rebacked once, not recently. The reback is competent and unsigned. Corners repaired at the same date as the reback, in a leather of a different lot.

Sewing. Five sewing stations, on cords, the cords laced into the boards. Thread linen, two ply, consistent throughout so far as it can be seen without disbinding, which has not been done and will not be.

Collation as found. Eleven gatherings, each of eight leaves, giving eighty-eight leaves. The eleven are unnumbered but their order is not in doubt: the sewing holds them.

Spine. Six sewing-thread impressions are visible in the leather of the spine lining where the gatherings have pressed against it over a long period. The impressions are evenly spaced and of equal depth. I count six. There are five stations.

I record the discrepancy here and take it no further in this report. A condition report says what is in front of it. It does not explain.

Paper. Laid, chain lines 26 to 28 millimetres, no watermark in any leaf examined by transmitted light. Absence of a watermark is not evidence of anything; a great deal of paper carries none.

Ink. Two inks, distinguishable to the eye under raking light by their behaviour at the stroke ends rather than by colour. Sampled separately, see the table.

Damage. Water at the tail, historic and dry, affecting leaves 61 to 88 without loss of surface. No mould active. No insect.

Recommendation. Consolidate the tail, leave the reback, do not disbind, return.