Preserving Useful Knowledge
A History of Collections Care at the American Philosophical Society Library, Transactions, American Philosophical Society (Vol. 111, Part 1)

Renee Wolcott (Author)

9781606181133

Paperback / softback, published 1 January 2022

108 pages
25.4 x 17.1 x 1.5 cm, 0.666 kg

This book traces the history of collections care at the American Philosophical Society (APS) as revealed through its minute books, treasurers' receipts, and librarians' correspondence. It also examines the physical evidence presented by books and documents that were repaired by former restorers and conservators, including Library of Congress manuscript restorer William Berwick, book and manuscript restorer Carol Rugh (later Caorlyn Horton), and the Society's first full-time conservator, Willman Spawn. Their painstaking repairs, which have not always aged well, present both a vital historical record and an ongoing challenge for today's conservators. Illus.