What is wrong with this cover?

I have a small book with weird cover damage. At first I thought it was mold,
although the book doesn't smell musty. My second thought was water damage,
because of the pattern, but none of the pages are wrinkled, and the boards
are not warped.

It almost looks as if some kind of clay sizing has leaked out of the fabric
and is now on the surface of the cloth, but I've never seen anything like
this before. I would still suspect water damage to be the root cause of
whatever is wrong with it, but there are just no other signs of water
damage.

I've put some pictures up and I would appreciate if anyone could provide an
opinion on what is wrong with this book. My main concern is "Is it catching,
or is it safe to be around my other books?"

http://home.att.net/~my_wings/gaited_riding.html

Thanks.

Alice

That book is mouldy. The fact that it dosn't smell musty is meaningless, it's
still damaged by mould, and it looks like it's still growing, particularly on
the inside fron t cover.

/mj



my-wings wrote:

I have a small book with weird cover damage. At first I thought it was mold,
although the book doesn't smell musty. My second thought was water damage,
because of the pattern, but none of the pages are wrinkled, and the boards
are not warped.

It almost looks as if some kind of clay sizing has leaked out of the fabric
and is now on the surface of the cloth, but I've never seen anything like
this before. I would still suspect water damage to be the root cause of
whatever is wrong with it, but there are just no other signs of water
damage.

I've put some pictures up and I would appreciate if anyone could provide an
opinion on what is wrong with this book. My main concern is "Is it catching,
or is it safe to be around my other books?"

http://home.att.net/~my_wings/gaited_riding.html

Thanks.

Alice

--

Michael John Thompson
Thompson Rare Books
950 Fort Street
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada V8V 3K2
Telephone: 250-384-9977
http://www.mjtbooks.com

"my-wings" wrote in message
...
I have a small book with weird cover damage. At first I thought it was
mold,
although the book doesn't smell musty. My second thought was water damage,
because of the pattern, but none of the pages are wrinkled, and the boards
are not warped.

It almost looks as if some kind of clay sizing has leaked out of the
fabric
and is now on the surface of the cloth, but I've never seen anything like
this before. I would still suspect water damage to be the root cause of
whatever is wrong with it, but there are just no other signs of water
damage.

I've put some pictures up and I would appreciate if anyone could provide
an
opinion on what is wrong with this book. My main concern is "Is it
catching,
or is it safe to be around my other books?"

http://home.att.net/~my_wings/gaited_riding.html

Thanks.

Alice


Hi, it looks to me like staining from sizing or glue...maybe due to humidity
or a dustjacket that got damp....if you're concerned that it might be
harbouring bacteria or mould, if it's for your own collection, maybe make a
little dustjacket for it from archival paper....

Huronia

"Huronia" wrote in message
.. .

"my-wings" wrote in message
...

I've put some pictures up and I would appreciate if anyone could provide
an
opinion on what is wrong with this book. My main concern is "Is it
catching,
or is it safe to be around my other books?"

http://home.att.net/~my_wings/gaited_riding.html

Thanks.

Alice


Hi, it looks to me like staining from sizing or glue...maybe due to
humidity
or a dustjacket that got damp....if you're concerned that it might be
harbouring bacteria or mould, if it's for your own collection, maybe make
a
little dustjacket for it from archival paper....

Huronia


Thanks for your thoughts on it, Huronia. It's just a very weird condition.
I've owned this book for over 20 years...I don't remember noting any
problems earlier, but I wasn't as interested in or noticing of condition
when I bought it as I am now. I probably never even slipped off the jacket
until I was cataloging my books and looking up values on line about a year
ago.

The jacket looks fine...absolutely no evidence of water damage, but perhaps
humidity is the culprit, although the rest of my books look fine. To me,
this substance staining the cover looks claylike, which is why I'm thinking
the sizing may have migrated to the surface.

Oh well.....just another little mystery to keep life interesting!

Thanks for responding.

Alice

Hello Alice,
Great photos, also the ownership history was important. The book has
been subjected to high humidity. The moisture reacts with certain
volatile organic glues and produces the foxing on the endpapers. Also,
particularly during July and August (for the NE United States), the
moisture with grow mould on the cloth surfaces under the jackets. I'd
check your other books as well.

Peridote

I've put some pictures up and I would appreciate if anyone could provide
an
opinion on what is wrong with this book. My main concern is "Is it
catching,
or is it safe to be around my other books?"
Alice

Looks like Mad Book Disease. I'd quarantine it and then destroy it along
with all your other books that have been mingling with it.

"booksareus" wrote in message
...
I've put some pictures up and I would appreciate if anyone could provide
an
opinion on what is wrong with this book. My main concern is "Is it
catching,
or is it safe to be around my other books?"
Alice

Looks like Mad Book Disease. I'd quarantine it and then destroy it along
with all your other books that have been mingling with it.



LOL.....sorry, but I'm only getting rid of the downers. Speaking of which,
it's kind of a downer to think of getting rid of any, but.......oh well. I'm
going to make a note of the points that separate a first from a second
printing (I have copies of both) and then consign this little book to the
waste bin. (sob)

Alice

"Peridote" wrote in message
om...
Hello Alice,
Great photos, also the ownership history was important. The book has
been subjected to high humidity. The moisture reacts with certain
volatile organic glues and produces the foxing on the endpapers. Also,
particularly during July and August (for the NE United States), the
moisture with grow mould on the cloth surfaces under the jackets. I'd
check your other books as well.

Peridote

Thanks to everyone for their learned opinions. I guess I'm going to let this
book go. I hate to do it. One of my children, you know. Not bought for
resale, but for love of the subject. But I've got too many other books that
I also love to risk infecting them.

Alice

"my-wings" wrote in message
...

"booksareus" wrote in message
...
I've put some pictures up and I would appreciate if anyone could
provide
an
opinion on what is wrong with this book. My main concern is "Is it
catching,
or is it safe to be around my other books?"
Alice

Looks like Mad Book Disease. I'd quarantine it and then destroy it
along
with all your other books that have been mingling with it.



LOL.....sorry, but I'm only getting rid of the downers. Speaking of which,
it's kind of a downer to think of getting rid of any, but.......oh well.
I'm
going to make a note of the points that separate a first from a second
printing (I have copies of both) and then consign this little book to the
waste bin. (sob)

Alice


Alice..I don't think it needs to be tossed - just treated and isolated.
Maybe try wrapping the little bugger up tightly in saran wrap or a large
freezer bag, getting it as airtight as possible. Then put it in the freezer
for five days or so. This should stop the mould growth. Take it out, get a
soft brush (like a baby's hairbrush and scrub off any mould - I don't even
know if you'll see any come off). Once the book is back to room
temperature, I would make it a little box of arch. quality cardboard,
wrapping in some archival tissue paper, label it, and put it back on your
bookshelf!! You could even tie the box with a pretty ribbon. I don't think
you need to toss it at all...

Huronia

"Huronia" wrote in message
...

"my-wings" wrote in message
...


LOL.....sorry, but I'm only getting rid of the downers. Speaking of
which,
it's kind of a downer to think of getting rid of any, but.......oh well.
I'm
going to make a note of the points that separate a first from a second
printing (I have copies of both) and then consign this little book to
the
waste bin. (sob)



Alice..I don't think it needs to be tossed - just treated and isolated.
Maybe try wrapping the little bugger up tightly in saran wrap or a large
freezer bag, getting it as airtight as possible. Then put it in the
freezer
for five days or so. This should stop the mould growth. Take it out, get
a
soft brush (like a baby's hairbrush and scrub off any mould - I don't even
know if you'll see any come off). Once the book is back to room
temperature, I would make it a little box of arch. quality cardboard,
wrapping in some archival tissue paper, label it, and put it back on your
bookshelf!! You could even tie the box with a pretty ribbon. I don't
think
you need to toss it at all...


Well, I guess going into the deep freeze for a few days wouldn't hurt it any
more than my other plans for it! But would that actually kill any mold? I
thought that stuff was nearly indestructible.

Alice