Conservation Treatment of the Conne River Mi kmaq Prayer

Conservation Treatment of the Conne River Mi’kmaq Prayer Book David Hanington Book & Paper Conservator Works on Paper Laboratory

CCI‘s mission is to support the heritage community in preserving Canada's heritage collections for access by current and future generations. This mission is accomplished through conservation research and development, expert services and knowledge dissemination. L'ICC a pour mission d'appuyer la communauté du patrimoine culturel dans ses activités de préservation des collections patrimoniales du Canada afin d'en assurer l'accès aux générations présentes et futures. Cette mission s'accomplit par le biais de la recherche et du développement en conservation ainsi que par l'offre de services d'expertise et de la diffusion des connaissances. http: //www. cci-icc. gc. ca/

Conne River Mi’kmaq Prayer Book Conne River Newfoundland The manuscript is an early Newfoundland Mi’kmaq prayer book containing hymns, prayers and other religious texts in use in divine worship according to Roman Catholic observance.

Examination Front cover Text block

Pencil inscription on the front cover Added in 1959 No man or woman living at conne knows how old this book is

Text Block Text block is sewn onto four vellum thongs

Text Block Tears Water stains

Drawings & Annotations

Decorative Designs

Text Block Handmade Paper Observations under transmitted light. Computer enhancement on Watermark the right. Design Crown & Shield 1807

Papermaker’s Name J. JELLYMAN 1807 located in Salisbury, Dowton, Wiltshire England

Detached Pages

Helen Sylliboy Mi’kmaq Educator who worked in the Language Development with the Eskasoni School Board Cape Breton Nova Scotia assisted with determining the correct order of the pages

MI’KMAQ HIEROGLYPHIC PRAYERS

Hieroglyphic Text “who created heaven and earth” A = and

Examining the Detached Leaves

The Significance of the Prayerbook • Helen Silliboy felt a very powerful spiritual element of the book • She suggested it might be more appropriate, and more respectful of the object, to leave it untouched

To Treat or NOT to Treat • As a result of her comments, treatment options were reconsidered, and a ‘no treatment’ option was included in the proposal. • It was clear that a meeting with the owners should be arranged in

QE II Library Martin Howley Humanities Librarian Memorial University of Newfoundland

Meeting in Saint John’s Newfoundland Signal Hill, St. John’s Gerald Penney

Conne River Mi’kmaq Band Conne River Newfoundland St. John’s

Conne River Bay D’Espoir Newfoundland Government Building

Meeting with the Band Council Members

Meeting with the Band Council Members • The condition of the Mi’kmaq prayer book and the difficulties associated with the treatment were presented, along with the advantages and disadvantages for treating or not treating it. • After a lengthy discussion, it was the decision of the Band Council Members that the prayer book should be fully

Photography

Analysis of Ink Samples Analytical Research Laboratory The inks were analyzed by Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy

Analysis of Leather Cover Leica Polarized Light Microscope

Caribou Calf Cover Sheep Deer

Original Leather Cover Sheepskin Sample

Paper Treatments • Dismantling • Dusting • Surface Cleaning • Lamination Removal • p. H Readings • Washing • Leafcasting Dismantling the Text Block

Dusting the Pages Surface Cleaning

Lamination & Tape Removal Suction Table before after

Measuring the p. H Washing

Leaf-casting • Paper fibres • Disintegrating • Beating • Freeness measurements • Drying pulp • Controls • Calculations • Casting • Pressing Leaf-casting Spanish Vinyector leaf-caster

Combination of paper fibres Measuring the pulp

Hollander beater Disintegrating the pulp

Measuring the thickness Calculating the missing area

Lifting the folio into the leaf-caster on its Reemay® support Pouring the measured amount of pulp into the chamber

Pressing the newly cast sheet in the hydraulic press Newly cast folio

Microfilming National Archives of Canada

Microfilming Staff filming and processing film

Front cover Back cover Binding

Sewing the Text Block

Headbands Alum-tawed goatskin thongs sections Spine headband 2 layers of Japanese paper kettle stitch

Goatskin Parchment for the Cover

Handmade Parchment & Vellum Unhairing Fleshing Stretching – Drying & Finishing

Paper Pattern for the Cover

Lacing in the Thongs

Non Adhesive Binding Endpaper Yapp Edge

Headbands

Peg Materials Caribou bone Peg attachment

Front Cover Back Cover

Protective Enclosures Solander box open

Portfolio containing the original sewing materials A second solander box was constructed to house the original cover and portfolio above

Completed prayer book displayed on a caribou leather support and Plexiglas® stand

Acknowledgments Conne River Band Council Members Sherry Guild Conservator, Works on Paper Section, CCI Juliet Graham Volunteer Paper Conservator Gerald Penney Archeologist & Band Negotiator Martin Howley Humanities Librarian, Memorial University Helen Sylliboy Mi’kmaq Educator

Acknowledgments Robert Barclay Conservator, Objects laboratory CCI Carl Bigras Photographer, Analytical Research Laboratory, CCI Elizabeth Moffatt Scientist, Analytical Research Laboratory, CCI Marie-Claude Corbeil Scientist, Analytical Research Laboratory, CCI Gregory Young Research, CCI Scientist, Conservation Materials Processes Season Tse Research, CCI Scientist, Conservation Materials Processes Micheline Sarrazin Canada Microfilm Technician, National Archives of Michèle Beachamp Canada Microfilm Technician, National Archives of Francine D’Amour Canada Microfilm Technician, National Archives of