16th Century Archival/Stationary Leather Bindings

A two-week theoretical and practical course offering in-depth practical and theoretical training in the historical techniques of 16th century archival bookbinding. The class is for only 8 students to ensure sufficient individual time with the instructor.

What are you going to learn in this course?

Archival bindings, within the wide world of historical book structures, are very unique, and must be carefully analysed to be fully understood. Their creation and use are very different: they were ‘living’ structures, meant to grow (letters, new sections and parts added along many years), and not born as distinct defined codicological units like printed books. This peculiar nature has inevitably deeply influenced the craftsmanship of their making. Therefore, the conservation of those book structures requires an in depth understanding of their physical features and a specific knowledge essential when performing treatments that must be respectful and conservation based.

Course project

1. Theoretical and practical lessons in the lab
2. Analysis of the elements of archival binding manufacture: types of buttresses, passages, capitals, nerves, closure systems
3. Practical and theoretical lessons during a visit to the Municipal Archive of Recanati
4. Creation of a fac-simile of a 16th century leather binding exemplar
5. Restoration with minimal intervention and philological reconstruction of an original archival leather binding

Who is the course aimed at?

This is an intermediate level course aimed at students specialising in book and cultural heritage conservation and conservation professionals.

Requirements and tools

Participants will be provided with all necessary equipment except for their personal lab coats. Personal equipment may be brought into the classroom at the discretion of the participant, who releases the company from all liability for any damage or loss of items belonging to him/her.

Travel & Accommodation informations

We will supply documentation to the relevant embassies for students accepted into the course. Travel costs are to be borne by the student. We support you in locating reasonable accommodation in shared apartments.

Funding

We do not offer scholarships or financial aid at this moment, but we can send supporting documents to your institutions for funding, or if you apply for grants.