Seville to Chazy in 400 Years

In 1918, before plans for a museum in Chazy had been drawn, Alice T. Miner purchased what would become one of the most extraordinary pieces in her collection. It is double-sided page, or leaf, from a gradual, (a liturgical book containing chants for the Christian Mass), created on vellum, framed with one side showing. This gradual leaf measures approximately 24" x 35". The book within which it was once contained was made large enough for the entire choir to read. The front of the leaf has four lines of text and line staves with musical notations. There is a wide illuminated panel border on all four sides, and the first letter of the first word is an historiated, or enlarged, initial letter "D", with a miniature of Saint Paul seated with pen and scroll. The "D" begins Psalm 69:1, "Deus in adiutorium meum intende" God, come to my aid...

Detail of Saint Paul seated with pen and scroll, The Alice gradual leaf

Alice Miner purchased the gradual leaf through her friend, Frank Gunsaulus, a 20th century collector of rare books, manuscripts, and decorative arts. The manuscript has resided at The Alice since the first years of the museum, and many visitors have marveled at its vibrant colors, showcasing the skill of the illuminator, and how the rich colors have survived all of these years. It was created in Spain between 1430-1490. Alice's gradual leaf was the work of the Master of the Cypresses, so named for the characteristic cypress trees that he created which appear in a series of more than 80 miniatures in twenty-two choir books in the Cathedral of Seville, Spain. Dr. Gunsaulus, a Presbyterian Minister and educator, donated another gradual leaf attributed to the Master of the Cypresses to the Art Institute in Chicago in 1916. Gunsaulus acted as an agent in buying two manuscripts for Alice T. Miner, the gradual leaf and a breviary. You may remember two previous blogs-posts about the breviary in The Alice collection.

http://minermuseum.blogspot.com/2009/03/manuscript-reborn.html & http://minermuseum.blogspot.com/2008/08/le-breviaire-dhenri-de-lorraine.html

Both manuscripts in The Alice collection were created on a type of parchment - actually on the highest quality of all parchment, vellum. Vellum is made from calf, sheep or goatskin that has been laboriously prepared by stretching, scraping and alternately wetting and drying the skin while stretched. A final stage of prepping the vellum with pumice and talc was often employed. This intense preparation was done to bring the vellum to the right thickness for book pages and to prepare the skin to properly receive ink.

Our Spanish gradual leaf is a stunning piece of art. The historiated initial is 6 1/2 inches tall, exhibiting the captivating detail achieved by the illuminator. The wonderful detail of illumination, the colors used, the very precise lines - all catch the eye as soon as one enters the Spiritual Exhibit. One cannot help but be drawn into the sumptuous initial and the soft expression on Saint Paul's face, his gesturing hand, and the lush colors and folds of fabric of his garb. The illuminated border is comprised of numerous swirling and multi-colored leaf forms.

If you visit the J. Paul Getty Museum in California, The Art Institute in Chicago, Princeton University, or even the Eastman School of Music at The University of Rochester you might view manuscripts created by the Master of the Cypresses. Closer yet, visit The Alice right here in Chazy, New York and enjoy the Spiritual Exhibit where you can study our Master of the Cypresses gradual leaf, or our other spectacular 15th century manuscript, Le Breviaire d'Henri de Lorraine.

The gradual leaf in the Spiritual Exhibit at The Alice

A Manuscript Reborn!

To followers of this blog this will come as no surprise, but 2008 was a significant year for a 15th century illuminated manuscript in The Alice T. Miner Museum's collection. 'The Lorraine Breviary' was carefully packed up and driven many miles away to receive some much needed loving care from an expert in book conservation, Deborah Evetts. For some details about the work Deborah completed to restore the Breviary you can refer back to my August 28, 2008 blog entitled Le Breviaire d’Henri de Lorraine (If clicking on the link does not take you to the older blog - you can find it by going to the "Blog Archive" on the right side of this page, opening the year '2008' and then opening the month of 'August', there you will see a link for the previous blog.)


On Thursday, April 2, at 7:00 pm Deborah Evetts will illustrate the tradition of manuscript repair through examples such as the Beatus Apocalypse and other manuscripts from her many years of conservation work. Ms. Evetts will then discuss the stages in the restoration of the Museum’s Breviary, the reasons behind each step, and how they effect the final result, accompanied by many photographs. A Manuscript Reborn: Restoration of the Lorraine Breviary will take you inside the world of book conservation, a journey through time. The ancient and exciting techniques employed to bind manuscripts – herringbone stitch and linked sewing, metal work, leather work, wood work and rare textiles – will transport you into an age where technical gadgets were not only unknown, they could not even be imagined... And where craftsmen making everything with their own hands made beautiful works of art.

Deborah Evetts: An internationally recognized book conservator she advises librarians and collectors on topics ranging from the best restoration/preservation methods, housing and climate control, and is entrusted by major libraries, museums and private clients with the restoration of their priceless books. Trained as a designer bookbinder by several of the greatest exponents of the classical English School of bookbinding she exhibits worldwide and her work is represented in numerous collections both institutional and private. Deborah is a lecturer on book conservation, fine binding, decorated papers, etc., to professional organizations, book clubs, publishers and educational institutions. As Drue Heinz Book Conservator at the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, she cared for a magnificent and varied collection of Coptic manuscripts and bindings, medieval illuminated manuscripts, early printed books, music manuscripts, autograph manuscripts and documents and children's books. She combined this work with fine binding, designing, teaching, lecturing and consulting for major institutions and prominent private collectors. The latter included binding copies of President Kennedy's notebook for Jackie Kennedy to give to her children, and the rebinding of the 9th century De re culinaria manuscript of Marcus Apicius for the New York Academy of Medicine.

Tickets are $8 and seating is limited, for reservations please call 518-846-7336, or email me at director@minermuseum.org!

Le Breviaire d’Henri de Lorraine

Last December Jackie Sabourin and I journeyed hours away to transport a manuscript from the collection to a book conservator for some long awaited TLC. For a 600 year old book the breviary was in excellent condition. Perhaps that's like saying "for a 200 year old human he was in great shape!" Contemplating the age of our breviary really brings into question how it has survived intact these long years and many miles.

details from the breviary

Le Breviaire d'Henri de Lorraine was created ca. 1430 in Rouen, France, for Henri de Lorraine, then Bishop of Therouanne. Alice T. Miner purchased the manuscript from her friend and fellow collector Frank Gunsaulus around 1917. When Alice opened her museum in 1924 the breviary was placed on the third floor for visitors to see. When our collections committee prioritized it for conservation it had been in it's display case on the landing since that time.

the breviary

Deborah Evetts has an unusually broad rare book and manuscript conservation résumé. She was Head of Rare Book Conservation at The Pierpont Morgan Library for many years, and now runs an independent conservation service. Deborah has a talent and passion for book arts which we hope to employ in 2009 with a book binding workshop @ The Alice.

We sought out Deborah to assess the breviary's condition and to formulate a conservation plan for it. Our Collections Committee then approved implementation of the plan. Her work began immediately - the breviary was dis-bound completely and she removed the glue from the spine.

the breviary without it's binding - the process of removing the glue...

The binding had been sewn so tightly that it had caused swelling of the fore-edge. Therefore, the next step in Deborah's work was re-sewing the binding using a herring bone stitch.

sewing the headband...

The book cover also received some much needed repair, including rebuilding of the corners, the addition of a new lining on the spine, and re-backing done with the appropriate calfskin leather, stained nearly identical to the original. Upon first glance it is difficult to see the repairs - one of the marks of an excellent conservator!

the corner before repair...

The vellum paste-downs in the front and back of the cover were removed from the boards supporting the cover and replaced with paper. After many hours of expert work, the cover and pages were reunited and the breviary returned to it's intended state. Finally, Deborah made a new box to house the breviary when it is not on display.

(L) preparing the sewing supports prior to lacing on the board... and (R) the new box to house the breviary during times when it is not displayed...

A short time ago we received the call that Deborah's work was complete. I made the trip to her workshop with Seana Remillard and Stephanie Pfaff to retrieve the breviary. Upon our arrival, Ms. Evetts kindly gave us a tour of her workshop! We then surveyed the conservation work she had done on the breviary before leaving for the long trip back to Chazy. Le Breviaire d’Henri de Lorraine is now back @ The Alice and on display for you to enjoy!

Deborah Evetts in her workshop explaining the work done on the breviary...