Folger Shakespeare Library
Conservation Lab
August 25, 2011

On Thursday, August 25 a group of Chesapeake Chapter members got a rare opportunity to tour the Folger's Conservation Lab with conservators Linda Hohneke and Rhea DeStefano to see the inner workings of one of the world's great collections of books and manuscripts.

Additionally there was a very well prepared exhition in the Great Hall highlighting the First Folios (the Folger has 82 of them). From the 1620s through the twenty-first century, the Shakespeare First Folio influenced the industries of conservation, editing, and book-collecting, eventually becoming a cause for idolatry in itself. This exhibition explored the complex history of the First Folio, from its humble beginnings in the seventeenth century to stories of theft and recovery of an idolized book, recounting how it came to mean so much across cultures and continents. The exhibition ended on September 3.

This is our group taking a look at the new facilities with a first rate working space with amazing lighting. Conservator Rhea DeStefano (far right) explains the importance of natural light and demonstrates the controls for the skylights.

The Folger is a world-renowned research center on Shakespeare and on the early modern age in the West. Its conservation lab is a leading innovator in the preservation of rare materials. Its well-known public programs include plays, concerts, literary readings, family activities, and exhibitions, as well as numerous K-12 and college programs for students and teachers. Advanced scholars participate in a variety of Folger Institute seminars and colloquia.

The Folger opened in 1932 as a gift to the American nation from Henry Clay Folger and his wife Emily Jordan Folger. It is administered by a Board of Governors under the auspices of Amherst College, Henry Folger’s alma mater. The Folger Shakespeare Library collection has both great depth and a broad range. In round numbers, the Folger houses more than 256,000 books; 60,000 manuscripts; 250,000 playbills; 200 oil paintings; some 50,000 drawings, watercolors, prints, and photographs; and a wealth of other materials, including musical instruments, costumes, and films.

The mission of the Folger Shakespeare Library is to preserve and enhance its collections; to render the collections, in appropriate formats, accessible to scholars; and to advance understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's writings and of the culture of early modern Europe more generally through various programs designed for all students and for the general public.

Here, conservator DeStefano gave us a great explanation of some of the chemistry and high tech gadgetry that goes into the very complex process of book and paper conservation.
Leaf casting, or a method of replacing missing paper on a page, was quite interesting. To some of us who didn't know much about it beforehand, it seemed like something out of a tv crime show lab, involving special photography, paper forensics and a water vacuum frame.

Conservator Linda Hohneke, second from right, highlights the incredible complexity that comes from working with a wide variety of bookmaking processes, paper sources and additives, printing and writing inks, coupled with both the good and bad conservation that has been done to many of these pieces over the past 400 years.
It was also interesting to find out how much direct, hands-on involvement the conservators had preparing the books, manuscripts and other objects for exhibiting. The Great Hall at the Folger always has wonderful and carefully prepared exhibitions with very informative support material and labels.

As always, we love to gather for food after Chapter events and this was no exception. From left to right: Tray Nichols, Jackie Coleburn, Donald Farren, Mike Denker, Chris Sweterlitsch, Jill Cypher, George Barnum, Chris Manson, John Johnson, and Nancy Johnson. Ray Nichols was sitting in that empty chair just before the photo was taken.
This workshop event was set up by Donald Farren and our Program Committee.
Photography and text by Ray Nichols & Jill Cypher.