Encyclopédie, ou Dictonnaire Raisonne des Sciences, des Arts et des Métiers is a thirty-five-volume reference
book published in Paris between 1751 and 1780 by Andre Le Breton and edited by Denis Diderot. A collaborative work, the Encyclopédie was written by a group of learned men with the intention of understanding the world through reason, intellectual exchange, and the scientific method. The epitome of Enlightenment ideals, the compilation and dissemination of knowledge found in these books promoted the kind of progressive thinking that eventually led to the French Revolution. Additionally, a goal for publishing the Encyclopédie was to provide a practical reference for tradesmen, whose professions were outlined and finely illustrated in detail throughout the volumes.

This set of Diderot volumes belonged to Governour Morris I, a founding father of the United States. Morris wrote the preamble to the Constitution and is also known as “The Penman of the Constitution”. In Philadelphia, he was appointed assistant superintendent of finance (1781–1785) and was a Pennsylvania delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Presumably, Morris had his reference set bound by Robert Aitken, a Philadelphia printer, binder, and bookseller. He is known for publishing the first complete bible in the United States, also referred to as the Aitken Bible.

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Treatment Overview: 

• The spine was cleaned with latex free polyurethane sponges and faced with a thin 3% Klucel M in isopropanol pre-coated tissue (RK0, ~ 5gsm), using 3% Klucel M in isopropanol as an adhesive. The spine was lifted and retained. 

• The remaining leather residue was reduced mechanically with the aid of a methyl cellulose poultice. 

• The spine of the book was consolidated with undiluted wheat starch paste and then lined with two layers of Hanji 1308 adhered with wheat starch paste. A transverse lining of airplane linen cut on the bias was adhered to the spine with a 1:1 mixture of Lascaux 498 HV and 4% A4M methyl cellulose. 

• Red and green silk endbands on a cord core were sewn off the book and stuck on with the 1:1 Lascaux and MC mix.

• A one on and two off western paper tube was adhered to the spine of the book using the 1:1 Lascaux and MC mix.

• Light brown Hewitspeckled calf was dyed with Hewit Leather dyes to achieve a sympathetic color to the original leather. 

• Approximately 35 mm of the pastedown and leather covering material were lifted on the upper and lower boards. The rebacking was done off the book and the textblock was then cased in using undiluted wheat starch paste. 

• The interior hinges were adhered under the pastedown using the 1:1 Lascaux and MC mix. The pastedowns and leather were adhered down using the same adhesive mix. 

• Marbled paper hinges were prepared using medium weight Hanji and a laser printed image of the original endsheets. The hinges were pasted down using undiluted wheat starch paste. 

• New labels were gilt stamped and adhered to the spine of the book using Lascaux 498 HV. 

• Gilt lines were tooled onto the spine for aesethetic integration. 

• The original spine was lined with medium weight Hanji and Lascaux 498 HV. The facing tissue was removed and the spine was consolidated with 2% Klucel M in ethanol. The spine was encapsulated and stored with the book.