Csapodi, Csaba: Conservation of the Manuscript and Old Book Collections at the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Methods and Results. 1949–1964 (A MTAK kiadványai 44. Budapest, 1965)
Old Books in New Bindings If the binding is lost or cannot be saved the old book receives a new binding. In making new bindings we adhered to two basic points: 1. it must assure the survival of the book for future centuries ; 2. the new binding must harmonize with the rest of the collection. To realize the first goal we did not spare the time and money to make new bindings of worthy material and fine execution. Thus, for instance, the folio-size incunabula are always bound between wooden boards or pieces of fibreboard with half-leather or leather covering. In case of half- leather binding the other parts of the wooden board are left empty; they do not receive a paper covering (Plate 32). It was not without reason that in olden times the books were bound this way: no other material is suitable for protecting the heavy volumes. In order to realize the second goal certain basic principles were set up for our collaborators. The incunabula received leather or wooden boards with halfleather bindings. The old Hungarian books and every foreign volume from the 16th and 17th century are leather bound. Those of the 18th century are halfleather bound and books of the first half of the 19th century are put in halfcloth bindings. The incunabula have no printed titles or gilding because this is out of tune with the impression of the old collection. Otherwise we did not attempt to achieve uniformity and to prescribe the particular types of binding. On the other hand we gave our artists a free hand. Thus we provided for the excellent pieces in the collection: D. SASVÁRI'S style bindings which he designed after carefully studying the old bindings (Plate 31) and for J. FABRÓ'S incunabula bindings which are simple but striking creations with a fine blend of colour and perfect smoothness. (Plate 33). The author prefers this latter type. With its simplicity it is entirely modern, but its techniques harmonize with the mood of the old collection. Our collaborators were encouraged to do even more: to show we can be modern and simple and at the same time expressing artistic creativity with various geometric designs. They competed to create the finest modern bindings which still organically harmonize with a collection of old books. Their artistic effect is achieved with various colours, simple designs, delicate proportions, moderate line decorations (Plates 34—43) and in case of books younger than the incunabula, some gilding. Thus conservation goes hand in hand with creativity and our collection will once be a source of research on the art of bookbinding in Twentieth Century Hungary because the artistic method of bookbinding, the individually planned and finished leather bindings,, was allowed to exist when this genre was already on its way towards extinction. Naturally not every old book receives such a leather binding and — as we mentioned — 18th century books are bound in a rather simple half-leather binding and those from the first half of the 19th century are given a .halfcloth binding. But in all instances we are careful that the modern material of these half-cloth bindings should not clash with the character of the collection. The linen is some dull coloured, unbleached type, the endpaper is smooth or some hand-coloured paper. The storage of the few-page long fine print of less value is done in boxes especially planned for the purpose. Namely, it would be senseless to protect some not too valuable, rarely used, welcoming address, and similar works, in bindings which cost more than the value of the printed work itself. Such simple, or rather one-sheet printed books, are given a uniform 16
