LIS220 Final Project

CONSERVATION TREATMENT PROJECT

LIS 220 Archives Conservation Submitted by Maria Consuelo G. Cabrera 2015-89472 Submitted to Prof. Emma M. Rey

Launched on December 5, 1987, The History of the Burgis was the brainchild of Gilda Cordero-Fernando. It is a Philippine history lesson that aimed to “entertain and educate.” She gathered friends who are writers, researchers and artists to work on the satire publication. It looks like a coffee-table book with “lingeriepeach-tinted covers” but sold for “an almost proletarian P260.”

I bought my copy of the book in 2004 from Dateline, a second-hand bookstore in Cubao Expo, Quezon City.

CONDITION REPORT I. BOOK INFORMATION

Title: The History of the Burgis

Authors: Mariel N. Francisco and

Fe Maria C. Arriola

Publication Date: 1995 (Sixth Printing)

Copyright © 1987

GCF Books

Paperback / Perfect Binding

Size: 9 in x 12 in II. ITEM CONDITION

- with dirt and stains on cover

- stains on inside pages

- foxing

- with tapes on cover and spine

- deteriorating spine III. TREATMENT RECOMMENDATION

- mechanical cleaning

- deacidification

- rebinding

DAYS 1, 2, 3

After removing the pages from the spine, I mechanically cleaned the book using grated eraser and soft brush. Some pages are dirtier than the others.

DAYS 4, 5, 6

After testing a portion of the print in water, the book is cleared for washing.

Three sessions were spent washing100 pieces of paper.

I had to bring home the last 25 pages to wash in my own bathroom to be able to finish faster.

DAY 7

When the pages were all washed and dried, the pH was tested using pH strips.

pH 5.75 VERY ACIDIC!

DAYS 7, 8, 9

Time to deacidify...

...in Calcium Bicarbonate solution.

DAY 10

pH 7 BALANCED! pH test after deacidifying pages.

before after Yey!

DAY 11 Prepared binding materials: • paper awl • bone folder • rubber mallet • cutting mat • needle and thread • bullclips, ruler and pencil

• leatherette fabric • PVA glue and brush • scissors and cutter • board and acid-free paper

sewed using awl needle and clipped and linen thread punched holes

prepared cover

made fly leaves

glued together * I left the rebound book under a pile of other books for one week.

F I N A L O U T P U T

TAGUMPAY!

The book The History of the Burgis is one of my favorites and have used it as inspiration and reference for a number of my artistic and curatorial projects. To be able to preserve my copy through this project was both important and a scary experience. The book does not look the same, but I am now more confident that I’ll get to use it for a longer period of time. It is more meaningful that I got to preserve a book that is significant to me. The tactility of the material developed in me a deeper respect in the production of books and I am resolved to extend what I learned in class to others who want to conserve books.

“Archives are kept forever but not entombed!”

Con Cabrera 2017