II Second VolumeBook collections · Armenia
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Restoration workshop · Armenia

Book restoration
We preserve the book; we do not make it again

The restoration and conservation of books is one of the principal professional strands of our work. We work with old and rare editions, family books, collectible copies, albums and other book monuments.

Discuss restoration ↗ See our work
A Japanese photograph album of the nineteenth to twentieth century after restoration
01Our approach
Authentic material

We keep authenticity

A book is valuable not only for its text. The binding, paper, sewing, signs of use, ownership marks, earlier repairs and natural ageing are part of the history of the particular copy.

The task of restoration is therefore not to make an old book look new, but to retain as much authentic material as possible, restore structural integrity and allow safe storage and use.

“Before intervening in the structure of an old book, it is necessary to understand what in it should be preserved.”
02How we work
Understanding the object first

Restoration begins with an understanding of the object

01

We study the structure

Before we intervene we establish the construction of the book and the condition of the binding, paper, sewing and earlier repairs.

02

We keep what is original

We retain authentic elements wherever this is possible and justified.

03

We introduce the new only when needed

New materials are used only to stabilize the structure, protect the original and allow further safe use.

04

The degree of intervention is decided for each copy

Signs of use are not always a defect. They may be part of the history of the particular copy.

03Our work
The workshop video archive

Our work

Actual workshop projects and a video archive of restoration processes.

Japanese photo album, 19th–20th century Restoration

Japanese photo album, 19th–20th century

 A moldy Yearbook 1900 How to clean

A moldy Yearbook 1900

 Economy-style restoration Leather replaced with fabric

Economy-style restoration

 Perrault’s Fairy Tales 25 hours of restoration in 20 minutes

Perrault’s Fairy Tales
See all work on YouTube ↗
04One workshop
One professional workshop

One workshop. Several professional platforms

Second Volume brings together the restoration workshop and our long-standing professional and educational projects devoted to the preservation of the book.

All of the projects listed below belong to one professional workshop and show different sides of a single direction: research, preservation, binding and the restoration of books.

YouTube Rare Book Conservation

The main video archive of restoration work: long processes, masterclasses, ASMR and documentation from the initial state to the result.

↗ Facebook Book conservation in Armenia

A platform devoted to the practice of preserving and restoring books in Armenia.

↗ Instagram @kudryavtsev_serge

A visual chronicle of the workshop’s work, individual projects, details of books and stages of restoration.

↗ TikTok Rare Book Conservation

Short films of individual operations, processes and the most telling moments of restoration.

↗ Telegram PiR of books — binding and restoration

The professional side of the craft: techniques, materials, tools, observations and practical experience.

↗ Telegram Restorer Yerevan

A channel connected with the workshop’s restoration practice in Armenia and work with books in Yerevan.

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We retain as much of the book’s original material as possible and intervene in its structure only as far as is necessary for further safe storage and use.

For complex and valuable objects the decision on restoration is taken after an inspection and a discussion of the task with the owner.

05A request
Begin with photographs of the book

Need restoration?

To form a preliminary view of the book’s condition and the likely scope of work, please send several photographs:

  • a general view
  • the binding from the front and the back
  • the spine
  • the edges
  • the title-page
  • close photographs of the principal damage
Send photographs ↗

serge.relier@gmail.com

Before work begins the operations and the fee are agreed separately for each object.