This #frankenbook, A Manual of the Anatomy of Vertebrated Animals by Thomas Henry Huxley, not only contains illustrations of animals’ skeletal anatomy, but also displays that anatomy of the book - specifically the spine. Looks like the book spine had been lined with cloth and a page of a printed book or manuscript pertaining to “The Gems of the Centennial Exhibition.” The gold-inlaid text was pressed into the spine after the book cloth was glued on to the cover boards and textblock, since the impression of the title can be seen on the page used as spine lining.

-Hannah

X-Collection QL805 .H983 1878

This 1465 #frankenbook is an interesting archival specimen. The historical cover was taken from its textblock and stored in a separate box, and the textblock was rebound to a new leather cover for conservation purposes. However, this allows us a rare opportunity to see how this manuscript was bound, inluding the split leather support sewing structure and remnants of cord from the endhands. There is also a tiny hole that can be located in the center of each of the pages of the textblock, which may have been historical to the binding and used as another method of keeping the textblock together, with a cord strung through the center of the pages. 

In addition, we can see the damage of iron gall ink, a type of ink made from iron salts, that burns through paper over time. In this case, the design showed through the other side of the page, and a brownish residue has formed around the design.

-Hannah

MsC 542 xMMs .Hil (pt. 1/2) 1465 & xMMs .Hil (pt. 2/2) 1465