A Beginner's Guide to Antiquarian Book Care

By Walking Ancient Church Paths in Devon
Comments 35
28 Aug 2026

A Beginner's Guide to Antiquarian Book Care

Why West Country Books Deserve a Little Care

If you have inherited a shelf of old books from a West Country family, or found a battered hymnal in a charity shop in Devon, you are holding more than paper and ink. You are holding local history, folklore, and hymn heritage. A Victorian collection of Cornish tales, a Methodist hymn book with a previous owner's name, a parish history of Somerset — these are fragile witnesses to lives lived in the West Country. They deserve careful handling, but the good news is that you do not need a laboratory or a large budget. A few simple habits will keep them safe for another generation.

Storing Books Upright and Stable

The first rule is to store books upright on a shelf, standing on their tails, not leaning at an angle. Leaning puts strain on the spine and can warp the boards. Use sturdy bookends to keep them vertical. If a book is too tall or too heavy to stand safely, lay it flat — but never stack more than two or three heavy volumes on top of each other. For very large or fragile books, such as a folio of West Country maps or a Victorian family Bible, a custom-made acid-free box is ideal.

Shelve books by size, so tall books do not lean on shorter ones.
Leave a little breathing space between books for air circulation.
Avoid shelves near radiators, windows, or damp outside walls.

Stability matters as much as position. A book that is constantly moved, knocked, or squeezed will suffer. Find a permanent home on a steady shelf, and keep it there.

Keeping Damp, Heat and Sunlight at Bay

Damp is the enemy of antiquarian paper. It causes foxing (those brown spots), mould, and warped boards. The West Country's climate can be humid, so keep books in a room with stable conditions. Aim for a relative humidity between 45% and 55%, and a temperature around 16–19°C. If your room feels damp, a small dehumidifier can help, but avoid placing it directly next to the books. Direct sunlight is equally damaging: it fades spines, bleaches paper, and makes bindings brittle. Never put a book on a sunny windowsill or under a strong spotlight. UV-filtering film on windows can reduce harm, but the simplest solution is to keep books away from direct light.

Handling with Clean Hands and a Steady Touch

Before you pick up an old book, wash your hands with plain soap and dry them thoroughly. Avoid hand creams, lotions, and sanitisers, which can leave oils or chemicals on the paper. Remove rings and watches that might scratch covers. When you take a book from the shelf, do not pull it by the headcap (the top of the spine). Instead, push the books on either side back, then grasp the book firmly around its middle. Support the spine whenever you open it. For a fragile book, lay it on a clean, flat surface and open the covers gently, letting the pages fall naturally. Never force a book to open flat. If you need to hold a book open, use a book cushion or rolled foam supports under the covers.

Reading and Photographing Without Pressing Flat

One of the most common mistakes is pressing a fragile book flat to read or photograph it. This cracks spines, breaks hinges, and tears pages. When reading, let the book rest at a comfortable angle — no more than 90 degrees for a tight binding, and less for a brittle one. Use a book snake (a soft, weighted fabric tube) or clean glass weights to hold pages down gently. For photography, do not flatten the book on a scanner or press it under glass. Instead, use a copy stand with the book supported on a cradle, or simply photograph it at an angle with good lighting. A phone camera works fine if you keep the book supported and avoid flash, which can heat the paper. Take your time, and never force a page to lie flat.

Caring for Hymn Books and Local Histories

Hymn books and local history volumes have their own vulnerabilities. Hymn books are often small and heavily used, so pages may be loose, and the spine may be broken. Store them in an acid-free sleeve or a small box, and avoid stuffing them into a pocket or bag. Local histories often include fold-out maps or genealogical tables. These should be unfolded carefully, supported from underneath, and never refolded along the same crease if it is weak. If a map is torn, do not attempt to repair it with household tape — that will stain and embrittle the paper. Seek advice from a local archive or conservation service. For any book that is falling apart, an acid-free phase box is a simple, safe home. And remember: a book that is kept dry, upright, and handled with care will continue to tell its West Country story for many years to come.

Antiquarian Books

Recording Village Memories Before They Fade

Examine tooling patterns, spine labels, headbands and boards for clues. Compare materials and techniques with documented bindings, but remember that repairs can confuse straightforward dating.

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5 Comments

Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply
- John Abraham says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
  
  I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
  Reply
  - Robert Sonnysays Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
    
    I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
    Reply
Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply

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