Explore the conservation of a sketchbook from the Holland House Papers collection, where treatment decisions balanced preservation needs, reader access, and respect for the book’s historical character.
16 June 2026Blog series Collection care
Author Ana C. Garcia Perez, Conservator
Conserving Add MS 51999 was a particularly rewarding project from a conservation perspective, not only because of the treatments involved, but also because of the many decisions that had to be made along the way. Throughout the process, I worked closely with the collection’s curator and with fellow conservators to ensure that the chosen treatment was respectful to the item’s historical context and appropriate for its long-term preservation needs.
Add MS 51999 belongs to the Holland House Papers collection, so named because the items it comprises were largely kept at Holland House, Kensington (the London residence of the Barons Holland and the Earls of Ilchester) until shortly before the house’s destruction in 1940.
Add MS 51999 is a small leather-bound volume (see Fig. 1) that belonged to Caroline Fox, 1st Baroness Holland (known as Lady Caroline Lennox before 1744, and as Lady Caroline Fox from 1744 to 1762). The volume contains a visually rich group of paper cut-outs and sketches produced by relatives and acquaintances using a wide range of media, including pencil, watercolour, and various inks.
Fig. 1 – The left board of Add MS 51999 upon arrival at the conservation studio.
Although modest in appearance, the book contains a fascinating variety of material (see Fig. 2). However, the way these pieces had been stored inside the book over time contributed significantly to its deterioration.
Fig. 2 – Some of the sketches and cut-outs contained within the book.
Only a few of the sketches had originally been attached to the pages. Most had either been loosely inserted between pages or placed inside photo-album-style slots. While this arrangement may appear casual and functional, the binding had not been designed to hold such a large amount of additional material. As more sketches were added, the book became increasingly bulky, placing strain on the sewing of its spine. Eventually, the sewing failed and the front board detached, making the book difficult to handle safely (see Fig. 3).
Fig. 3 – Tail edge of Add MS 51999 before conservation treatment, showing sewing breakdown and partial detachment of the spine.
The aim of the conservation treatment was therefore to stabilise the structure of the book while preserving its original character as much as possible, ensuring its long-term preservation. Additionally, since this book forms part of the British Library’s collections, it may be consulted by readers, and so it was also important to ensure that it could continue to be handled safely.
Working within a minimal intervention framework, the treatment focused on two main priorities: securing the loose sketches and paper cut-outs, and addressing the excessive bulk that had caused the structural damage.
Since the book may be regularly accessed by readers, the loose sketches were particularly vulnerable to damage or loss through handling. For this reason, it became necessary to secure them more safely while still respecting their original arrangement within the book.
This method involved attaching the sketches to the pages using small hinges made from thin Japanese tissue (see Fig. 4 and 5). This method is lightweight, reversible, and commonly used in conservation. It allowed the sketches to remain visible and accessible while adding very little extra bulk to the book.
Fig. 4 – Front view of a sketch after it had been attached to a page using a lightweight Japanese tissue hinge.
Fig. 5 – Back view of a sketch after it had been attached to a page using a lightweight Japanese tissue hinge.
The second option involved placing the sketches inside protective Melinex pockets before attaching them to the pages (see Fig. 6 and 7). This method offered greater protection, especially for fragile cut-outs or sketches with delicate media that could smudge or fade during handling. However, while protective, these pockets also introduced additional bulk to the textblock, which was already one of the book’s main structural problems.
Fig. 6 – Front view of a cut-out after being placed in a Melinex pocket and secured to the page it was found within.
Fig. 7 – Back view of a cut-out after being placed in a Melinex pocket and secured to the page it was found within.
As a result, different solutions were used depending on the needs of each individual sketch. More fragile items were kept within a Melinex pocket as they required additional protection, while others could be secured more simply with a tissue hinge. This flexible strategy helped ensure that the interventions remained minimal, respectful, and reversible.
Another key challenge was managing the increased bulk of the textblock. Since the original damage had been caused by the accumulation of inserted material, reinforcing the binding without significantly altering its appearance required careful planning.
This issue was closely connected to the choice of how to secure the sketches, as Japanese tissue hinges added very little extra thickness to the textblock, whereas Melinex pockets created more noticeable bulk. Balancing protection with the physical limitations of the binding became a key part of the treatment planning.
To address this issue, narrow strips of Japanese tissue were inserted within the sections of the book before sewing (see Fig. 8). These helped build up the spine evenly and distribute the strain more effectively across the sewing structure.
Fig. 8 – Tail edge of Add MS 51999 after conservation treatment, showing how the bulk of the textblock was compensated at the spine.
Following the treatment, the book was resewn, the detached boards were reattached, and the original spine structure was slightly modified to reduce tension during opening. The spine was then re-covered using a visually sympathetic cloth, and the original spine was re-adhered on top in order to preserve the book’s original appearance as closely as possible.
As an emerging conservator, this project was a valuable opportunity to develop my decision-making and problem-solving skills. Discussions with senior conservators helped deepen my understanding of the object’s materials and structure, while collaboration with curators provided important context about the item’s significance and use. Together, these insights informed treatment decisions that aimed to balance preservation, functionality, and respect for the object’s historical character.
This blog is part of series where you can discover how we care for the British Library’s Collections. Follow our expert team of conservators and scientists as we take you behind the scenes, into the Centre for Conservation and the Scientific Research Lab, to share some of the projects we are working on.
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