Each commonplace book is unique. They are collections of notes, proverbs, ideas, adages, poems, prayers, recipes, and facts. Commonplace books were created to document knowledge from other sources that were important or useful to the reader. The Commonplace Book of Louis de Marillac is part of the Vincentian Studies Collection of DePaul Univerisity, Chicago. Louis de Marillac (1556-1604) was a member of the French aristocracy and the legal guardian of St. Louise de Marillac, who cofounded the Daughters of Charity with St. Vincent DePaul.
Before Treatment: "Loyse de Marillac" gold-stamped on front board
Before Treatment: "Vng Dieu, vne foy, vng roy" gold-stamped on rear board; translation: “One God. One Faith. One King.”
Before treatment; The book is written entirely in a 16th-century French hand
When it arrived at The Center, the book exhibited age-related discoloration. Both inner hinges were compromised, with cracking to the upper and lower edges of the spine, though the sewing was intact. There was also possible mold present on the book and clamshell box.
The first steps of treatment were to surface clean the text block to reduce the surface grime and mold. The mold was then remediated with the careful application of an aqueous solution and mechanical cleaning.
During treatment, Katrina Flores, Associate Conservator of Works on Paper, consolidates a split of the spine.
Katrina Flores, Associate Conservator of Works on Paper, then repaired the head and tail of the spine by inserting a Japanese tissue hinge below the leather for support. Once the hinge was dry, Katrina added an outer hinge that she then compensated with watercolors to match the surrounding leather.
The repaired spine is compensated with watercolors to match the surrounding leather.
Spine split before treatment
Spine split after treatment
A new clamshell was created since the book has been remediated for mold. The new clamshell was created with half linen book cloth, which is similar to the original cloth, and the original label was scanned to create a reproduction for the new clamshell.
The clamshell box was compromised with mold, and so it was recreated
The new clamshell box, fabricated to closely resemble the original.
The Commonplace Book of Louis de Marillac is now back in the University's Vincentian Studies collection. The book is ready to continue to be used by the University in-class sessions, and the decision to conserve it at this time will ensure the item's stability, allowing it to be safely used for learning for years to come. Learn more and view pages of The Commonplace Book HERE.
Front board after treatment; The decorative binding, in a style called “fanfare,” is attributed to famous French bookbinder Clovis Eve.
Back board after treatment; The decorative binding, in a style called “fanfare,” is attributed to famous French bookbinder Clovis Eve.
A page of the Commonplace Book of Louis de Marillac. According to DePaul University, Transcription and translation of sources such as this commonplace book are a manual process that cannot be automated.
