Book Reviews

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Caring for Your Family Treasures: Heritage Preservation

Jane S. Long & Richard W. Long

Book review by Daniel Burge. Have you ever been to a historical play with a historian or to a science-fiction film with a physicist? All you ever get are little whispers in the ear about how such-and-such "isn't historically accurate" or how that "is impossible according to the laws of physics." Nobody wants their fun ruined by a picky expert. My perfectionist, scientific mind wants to point out picky little errors in this book, but that would only spoil a review of what I believe is a handy reference for anyone attempting to care for their family heirlooms. This book covers just about everything and to about the right degree for the layperson. So go buy it, read it, and use it for just those reasons.

A frustrating dilemma for any conservation or preservation professional writing on this topic will quickly become apparent to the reader: the propensity to be ultra-conservative and only offer suggestions that seem to try to convert homeowners into curators and their homes into museums. What can an author do but suggest the "technically correct" conditions even though he/she knows darn well that most people could never and will never maintain temperature and humidity levels in their homes anywhere close to consistent? High-priced, custom-made individual housings for each and every personal artifact will be within the reach of only the wealthiest collector. But these suggestions should not put off the reader or average family historian. Take the suggestions as ideals to strive towards. Do your best to care for your objects. That's the only thing we could ever expect.

Ok, I can't help it. I do have to be picky on one point. I don't believe that wood-pulp papers, as a class, are bad for photos, and they probably aren't bad for anything else. The problem is found with groundwood-pulp papers or semi-treated wood-pulp papers. These products can contain a lot of lignin, which will produce acids, peroxides, and discoloring agents over time. Quality, low-lignin (less than 1%) wood-pulp paper will work just fine as enclosures for your treasures.
Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers (2000)

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How Prints Look

William M. Ivins, Jr.

How to Identify Prints

Bamber Gascoigne

Book review by Daniel Burge. It is clear that both of these books were written for the professional and not the layperson. Unfortunately, there are no books on print identification for the layperson, which is sad because I am sure that, like me, many people possess cherished prints, passed down from ancestors, that they don’t fully understand or appreciate.

By reading these two books I learned more about printing techniques and how to differentiate among them. Both books start with the assumption that there are three basic print types: relief, intaglio, and planographic. The Gascoigne book then delves much more deeply into the many sub-categories of these types, which may or may not be helpful to the casual reader. The Ivins book sticks with the three main processes and lightly touches a few sub-processes.

But the proof is in the pudding, so I tried using each book to identify a print that came from my grandmother’s estate. I have always loved the picture—but what kind of print is it?

Despite being originally published in 1943, thirty-seven years after my grandmother’s print was made, Ivins’ How Prints Look provided absolutely no clue as to what printing process created this object. The author does a good job of explaining historic printing techniques but seems to give up after about 1880, indicating that this book would be of limited use for most people trying to identify the prints in their family’s collection.

Next, I tried using Gascoigne’s book to identify the print. At the end of this book there is a special section called “The Sherlock Holmes Approach,” which gives a step-by-step approach to help the reader identify a particular print. By this method I was able, in less than 30 seconds, to correctly identify the print as a relief half-tone. The dot pattern indicated it was a half-tone and the sharp edges and squashed ink rim around the dots indicated that it was a relief print as opposed to a planographic print.

In brief: Ivins’ book was an easier read, with good images, but unfortunately insufficient for the purpose of identifying a specific print. Even though Gascoigne’s book was pretty complex, “The Sherlock Holmes Approach” at the end of the book saved the day by enabling me to quickly identify my grandmother’s print. So, if you’re attempting to identify prints in your family collection, I would recommend giving How to Identify Prints a try.
How Prints Look, Beacon Press, revised edition (1987)
How to Identify Prints, Thames & Hudson (1986)

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The Scrapbook in American Life

Susan Tucker, Katherine Ott, and Patricia Buckler

Book review by Daniel Burge. This book was clearly written for the scholar as opposed to the popular press. As such, I expect it will be of little interest for the average scrapbook maker or photo-album compiler. The chapters address the varieties of styles as well as critical analyses of specific historical figures and eras. As an academic, I found the book interesting; my only concern was the occasional stretch of the imagination required to swallow some of the conclusions a few authors drew from their ambiguous and silent source materials. Scrapbooks have been rejected or neglected as source materials for a variety of cultural studies. I am grateful for the efforts put forth by both the writers and the editors to address these objects of potential cultural importance.
Temple University Press (2006)

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Digital Photography for Busy Women: How to Manage, Protect, and Preserve Your Favorite Photos

Laura Oles

Book review by Daniel Burge. I bought this book after taking a class given by the author at a photo convention. I was very impressed with her presentation and knowledge on the subject. After reading her book, my high opinion of her work was validated. This is not to say that she is a technical expert in the field — she isn’t — but she is an expert at taking information from technical experts and converting it into understandable and, more importantly, usable guidelines for the lay person. Her “F.R.A.M.E” method for explaining the steps to digital print and file preservation is the best simplified approach for the average consumer I have seen. My only disappointment was the title. This book would be just as useful to busy men. I should know. I’m one of them.
Compass Trade Press (2006)

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Mastering Digital Printing

Harald Johnson

Book review by Daniel Burge. This book is ideal as an introduction to all facets of digital printing. It should even make an ideal textbook for a 101-level course on the subject. The materials are presented in logical, discreet segments that address each aspect of the craft from file preparation, through selecting papers, to image permanence. If the reader simply wants tips on how to make improvements to his or her home printing, the book should be sufficient. If the reader is embarking on a voyage of producing high-quality prints in the competitive market place, this reference will be a good starting point — but just a starting point.
Course Technology PTR, 2nd edition (2004)

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Care and Feeding of Books Old and New: A Simple Repair Manual for Book Lovers

Margot Rosenberg and Bern Marcowitz

Book review by Daniel Burge. This volume on simplified book repair for the neophyte might make professional conservators cringe, but it does an adequate job of describing useful techniques for executing the nagging little repairs that would be unreasonably costly were a real conservator hired to do them. I’ve tried a few of the techniques and found the step-by-step instructions clear and workable. Certainly for books of great financial or sentimental value, the chance of destructive amateur repairs might warrant a little humility on the part of the do-it-yourselfer and lead him or her to the American Institute for Conservation website for a referral. My primary caveat is that the book was printed on poor-quality paper. My copy is only two years old, and the pages are severely yellowed.
St. Martin's Griffin, Reprint edition (2004)