Brock Books are now offering a book restoration service, rebinding leather and cloth bound books.
Brock Books Restoration
We are delighted to announce that book restoration is a new and expanding aspect of our business. Restoration is carried out in-house by Brock Books' owner Jude Haslam. After studying with David King for four years, Jude finds that her background in fine art and theatre design dovetails neatly with bookbinding skills. Jude will restore your old books to their former beauty and strength. She prefers repair and restoration over replacement binding whenever practical because she believes that old books deserve to be preserved in their original form to retain their period style and dignity. It gives her great pleasure to secure the future of the book and to contribute to the pride of its owner. All book repairs are different, and may not fall within the type of work undertaken by Jude. Contact us for advice, and assessment.
Whether it be an old book belonging to your grandmother or great uncle, a well-worn favourite from your own childhood, or a family Bible that is falling apart, Brock Books will restore this treasured heirloom.
Have you come across a book that was originally bound as a paperback or still in ‘publisher’s wraps’ and want to turn it into a smart hard-back? Have you purchased a much used book as a "research copy" and now can't bear to part with it? How about restoring that much-loved but tattered poetry book. Whether you’re a book collector or a book-dealer, from time to time you're sure purchase a rare book that is in need of restoration. Brock Books offers careful, professional restoration at reasonable prices.
Contact us to discuss your book, and if possible send some images of the book. in its present condition. Jude offers a treatment assessment service which you are welcome to use without obligation. Please note that if a book is considered to be best restored by someone else with particular specialist skills, then Jude will advise you of this.
The image to the top left shows a late 18th century copy of Columbus's Discovery of America which had been vandalised but with all of its plates still present, though loose. The book has been completely taken apart, the plates pasted onto guards, repairs done with Japanese tissue paper; resewn with new cords to replicate the original ones; new 'aged' end-papers; headbands hand-sewn; original boards laced in, and with new calf spine stained to match original boards.
The image, just to the left, shows the book that has now been resewn onto raised bands. All of the plates are back in place.
In the image below is the finished booked opened at Volume II with all of the loose pages securely back in place.
Prices Guidelines for Book Restoration Commissions
The following prices are intended as guidance to give an idea of how much any particular repair might cost. There are variations in the type of repair required. We will provide a precise price quotation after seeing the book.
CLOTH BOUND BOOKS From £25.00 for a simple repair, such as replacement of end-papers, without need of new cloth covered front/back boards. From £30.00 for a spine repair and replacement of original spine over the new one. From £35.00 for a complete rebind in a cloth case [new cloth covered boards] for a book measuring 12cm x 19cm (5 by 7 inches).
LEATHER BOUND BOOKS Re-spining with replacement end-papers, from £30.00 Rebinding in half-leather (spine and corners) with cloth or marble, or decorative paper, from £40.00 Rebinding in full leather, from £ 45.00 Re-stitching book block and re-binding, from £50.00 Any of the above with added corner repairs, restoration of leather including colour matching with dyes, mending of tears, guarding in of loose plates adds £10.00 or more pounds to the repair. Restoration of very large old books such as Victorian Bibles [see images below] costs approximately £100.00 to £150.00 depending on the hours of work. Contact us about your book and we will be happy to discuss it and provide you with a full TREATMENT ASSESSMENT and send you samples of the materials to be used.
Repairing a Victorian Bible
This image shows the bible before repair. The leather covers were very worn and the boards completely off. The end-papers were grubby, badly marked and edge-torn.
A few loose sections at the beginning, were sewn back into the book block. Torn and ragged page edges were repaired. It was given new end-papers in cream Victorian bible paper to match the original ones. The ribbon page marker was preserved and cleaned then put back into the book. The original, machine-made end-bands were carefully removed and put back onto the spine.
The bible was given a new spine in black chieftain goat's skin to match in the the type of original leather.
The image here shows the family open bible as it looked after finishing. The signature of the original owner (the Great Grandfather of the owner) has been carefully cut out of the original, damaged end-paper and pasted back onto the front end-paper. Several page edges were repaired using Japanese tissue.
At the final stage, the original spine was put back onto the book. The black areas of the leather were dyed using analine dye; then the whole of the covers were treated with preserving fluid and finally polished.
This image shows the bible from the spine view...before and after repairing.
This final image show the finished bible. Please note that all of the gilded decoration seen on this bible was there originally and not carried out by Jude.
Restoration of very large old books such as Victorian Bibles like this one, cost approximately £100.00 to £150.00.
Contact us to discuss your repair, binding and/or restoration needs.
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