Restoration and

Conservation work

I can carry out a variety of Restoration and Conservation work. I trained at Windsor Castle in their Book Conservation department, within this internship i carried out and was taught a lot of different techniques. Whilst there i had my own project, worked on the restoration of the Birds of America by John James Audubon, which was INCREDIBLE! i also worked with the archivist conservator, paper conservator, paintings conservator and the librarians.

Since then i was the restoration binder for a top London BookBinders where i did all of the restoration work for Cambridge University i then went freelance and have worked at a few other binders as their conservator. I also carry out work independently.

I am always happy to take on more restoration work, please do email me if you have a book you would like me to look at or if you are a binders and need someone to work for you. woodlebooks@gmail.com

Main project at Windsor Castle. (the three matching books in the middle)

During my time at Windsor castle i had my own project to work on.

These three books were originally worked on in the 80’s after the great fire. Two of the books had been puled down and washed in acid, as was the practice then, since they hadn’t been touched. So i was tow book completely to get any of the acid left out. I then had to join the pages back together and sew the two books up - it was at this point i found the third volume and thus has a book to match which was great. I also went the the British Library to research their copy of this book to make sure the pagination was correct and the style they had their copy in.

I covered the two copies in full calf and colour matched to the surviving third volume. All of the tooling was new as i had to re-back the third intact volume as it was in need of repair. I loved doing all of the tooling on these three spines and it was great fun.

Restoration for Cambridge Uni

Working at the bindery for 5 years means i have an awful lot of practice in doing leather re-backs! i did roughly 50 books every 3 months or varying sizes and levels of degradation. I loved doing this part of my job, it was hugely satisfying. They all had to be completed to a high level of conservation - these are working books in a library where they actually get used and need to be able to last another few hundred years or so. I really liked matching the new leather spines to match the rest of the book, a skill i learnt from working at Windsor Castle.

Private work

Having gone freelance means i get a lot of private work form individuals.

Usually these are Mrs Beaton’s cook books and Bibles, oh so many Bibles!

I love doing it though, this work in particular is really rewarding as i love taking a beloved book that is falling apart and make it whole again whilst retaining all of its soul.

Below are more examples of the restoration work i have carried out. In most cases i’ve tried to do before then after shots.