Conserving William Cripps’s Hortus Siccus

One of my favourite books in Kew’s Exsiccata collection is this very large volume which was once owned by a Master William T. Cripps of Tooting.

Dated from 1858, it contains wonderfully preserved pressed and dried plants mounted to each page, with handwritten annotations and some curious inserts.

 

 

When I first came across the book it was in a rather sorry state. Both of the boards had detached and the cover leather was scuffed, torn and lifting from the spine.

The book had also been over-filled with pressed plants. All this extra plant material has resulted in a swell in the text block, putting strain on the back (spine) of the book. Over time this made the shape of the spine change from the normal convex shape, to a concave one. This was also the reason that both the boards broke off.

 

 

 

Despite the poor condition of the binding, the plants within the pages were actually remarkably well preserved. This is due in part to several reasons: firstly, the person who collected and pressed them really knew what they were doing. The plants must have been pressed immediately after being collected, and with real care, as each one is beautifully laid out with its leaves, flowers and fruits spread out so all aspects of the specimen can be observed.

 

 

Secondly, the fact that the plants have been stored in a binding no doubt aided their preservation. Despite dating back to the mid-19th century, many of the leaves and petals have kept their vivid colour. The book is hefty and although it has been overfilled and the boards have broken off, the pages still lie tightly shut, preventing light, air, dirt and pollution from getting in and speeding up deterioration.

 

 

Lastly, the way the specimens have been mounted to the pages is interesting. They have only been attached by anchoring key points of each plant with paper straps and dabs of animal glue.

This has meant that the plants are still flexible and can move and flex with the turning of each page, resulting in very few breaks or tears.

 

 

This book also contained some interesting inserted material, which is always a treat to find. At the front there was a luggage label for the South Eastern Railway, handwritten on parchment.

 

 

There were also many loose specimens inserted between pages at the back of the book, with paper labels still attached to their stems from when they were first collected and pressed. At the front, there was a tissue paper wrapper containing loose and fragmented plant specimens. It was decided to remount these loose specimens onto a paper sheet in order to prevent them from any further damage or loss. Paper strapping was the attachment method used, mirroring the successful original mounting of the other specimens.

 

 

In order to repair the binding and reattach the boards, first the original degraded spine linings were removed. The book was originally sewn on to raised cords. These were extended with linen cords and new compensation stubs were sewn on to the front and back of the book. These stubs compensate for the extra text block bulk from the mounted plant specimens and allow the boards to sit back straight onto the text block.

 

 

Usually, I would try to return a concave spine to its original shape, but with this book it was not possible as the sewing was too tight and the mounted plants were too bulky. In any case, some book binders and conservators argue that a concave spine actually causes less stress to a binding, and can result in better, flatter page openings.

 

 

The spine was then re-lined with paper linings and aerocotton. This is a very thin and strong fabric that was originally used in the construction of aeroplanes. The aerocotton spine lining extensions were inserted into slots made in each board, to reattach the boards to the book.

 

 

New archival leather was dyed to match the original and used to cover over the spine. The original spine leather was consolidated and reattached over the new leather on the spine. Archival dyed leather was also used to repair each board corner. A bespoke box was then made to house the book safely and securely to prevent any further damage.

Now William Cripps’ Exsiccata is fit for use once more and is available to view through the Library, Art and Archive Reading Room.

 

 

 

- Sarai Vardi -