Anthony Philip Heinrich (1781-1861) was the first American composer to write large-scale orchestral works. Heinrich was born in Bohemia in 1781, visiting the United States multiple times before settling in Bardstown, Kentucky in 1817. While there, he composed his well-known collection of piano and vocal compositions The Dawning of Music in Kentucky, or the Pleasures of Harmony in the Solitude of Nature (1820). Also an accomplished conductor, Heinrich lead the first known performance of a Beethoven symphony in the United States. After moving to New York City in 1837, he was appointed chairman of the New York Philharmonic Society. Heinrich was the first American composer to write large-scale orchestral works, such as the Columbiad, or Migration of American Wild Passenger Pigeons (1858) and the Ornithological Combat of Kings, or the Condor of the Andes (1847). 

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The Library of Congress holds a majority of Heinrich's works, which spans approximately 15 linear feet and includes 38 volumes, containing approximately 7,000 pages of manuscript and printed music. A majority of the textblocks are made from a variety of wove and laid papers handwritten in black and brown iron gall inks, red and blue inks, and oil-based black printing ink. There are multiple corrections, sometimes by pasting small pieces or entire sheets of paper over the original iteration. Some corrections are adhered with red or blue starch wafers. 

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Most of the volumes are green half leather bindings with marbled paper sides, some of which have the original manuscript title page adhered to the cover, likely bound in the Library in the early 20th century. The bindings are not consistent throughout the collection, as some volumes have been rebound, some are unbound, and some are in the previous bindings. 

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A treatment plan was established for the conservation of the collection, by book conservator Katherine Kelly and paper conservator Susan Peckham. Three levels of intervention were identified: 

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• Group 1: 8 volumes that require rebinding and page mending (many volumes were disbound for microfilming).

• Group 2: 20 volumes that were disbound or never bound but require rehousing; some volumes are brittle and require extensive mending and tear repair.

• Group 3: 9 volumes whose bindings are in good condition but require minor to moderate page tear mending. 

 

Treatment and rehousing of the collection are estimated to take multiple years, and will consist primarily of paper repair using water-based and solvent-based adhesives. Some complex paper conservation treatment will be required, including the removal of attachments and starch wafers, backing removal, and media stabilization. ​

Eight volumes will be rebound. Loose pages will be guarded into nesting gatherings, the gatherings will be resewn. The textblock will be bound into a new binding or the existing binding if possible. Rehousing will consist of folders, four flap portfolios, and custom clamshell boxes for the entire collection. 

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Strategy: 

• Group 1: Mending and rebinding ( 8 volumes: 1 -3, 9, 13-14, 17, 24)

• ​Group 2: Mending unbound brittle paper and rehousing ( 20 volumes: 4-5, 8, 10-11, 14p, 15,19-21, 26-27, 29, 31-36)​

• Group 3: Minor page tear mending in bound volumes ( 9 volumes: 6-7, 12, 16, 18, 22-23, 25, 28)

 

Klucel M pre-coated tissue (3% Klucel M in ethanol on 5 gsm kozo activated with 2% Klucel M in ethanol) was used for edge reinforcement and iron gall ink support. Heat set tissue (Aquazol 500 on 5 gsm kozo tissue) was used for brittle page reinforcement. 

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I treated five volumes according the established protocol. 

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