PATENT PAPER AND BOOK TRIMMER.
The above cut of one of these machines, from the manufactory of I. Adams & Co., Boston, will serve to convey a general idea of its appearance; and the names of the makers are a sufficient guarantee of the mechanical perfection of its details.
TRANSLATION OF DATES.
Many old books have their dates printed in a manner which puzzles the finisher, should he be required to date any so printed, which are too thin to admit of its being done as on the title-page. The following key is here given, as it may be found useful in such cases:—c. 100; IↃ, or d, 500; cIↃ or m, 1000; IↃↃ, 5000; ccIↃↃ, 10,000; IↃↃↃ, 50,000, cccIↃↃↃ, 100,000. Thus, cIↃ, IↃ, clxxxviii—1688. While on this subject, it may not be inappropriate to notice the dating of some books printed in France during the republic in that country. Thus, "An. xiii."—1805, that being the thirteenth year of the republic, which commenced in 1792.
RESTORING THE BINDINGS OF OLD BOOKS.
Old bindings often look badly on account of the leather becoming dry and cracked, or the surface of the skin having been rubbed off in places. To obviate this, take a small quantity of paste and rub it carefully with the finger upon the portions that require it; after it is dry, wash the volume carefully over with a thin solution of glue size. When dry, the volume may be varnished, and afterwards rubbed over with a cloth in which a few drops of sweet oil have been dropped.
SUPPLYING IMPERFECTIONS IN OLD BOOKS.
It often occurs that a valuable and rare work has a leaf torn or missing. In order to supply it, the first step will be to obtain the use of a perfect copy as a model. Then procure paper of the same colour as the leaf to be mended, and cut it carefully to correspond with the torn portion. After the piece has been neatly adjusted, tip it and the leaf, very lightly, along the edges with paste made of rice-flour; then place a piece of tissue-paper on both sides of the leaf, and smooth it carefully with the folder; then close the volume and allow it to remain until perfectly dry. Then proceed to remove the tissue-paper, and it will be found that the portions that adhere where the joining occurs will be strong enough to secure the piece to the leaf of the book. The letters may be then copied from the perfect copy and traced upon the inserted piece. The general appearance will depend upon the skill displayed in order to produce a successful imitation of the original.