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If you like old books & imagery and such, check out this site:
http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/
I'm still trying to figure out exactly who they are and where the collections are coming from, but the digital pretties are to die for!
http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/
I'm still trying to figure out exactly who they are and where the collections are coming from, but the digital pretties are to die for!
What does the spine look like? By this I mean, is it in one piece? Does the book open and close easily?
I'm assuming it's leather bound. Is the mold on the exterior of the cover or the interior paper? When you say mold, does it flake off on your hand, or feel powdery, or are we talking little black spots?
I'd have to look at it to tell you whether I think the binding is original. Unless! when you open it, are the endsheets marbled? If they are, it's probably not an original binding.
If you think it is an original binding, then I recommend NOT messing with it. Go buy or have someone make you a nice, acid free box to keep it in, which will keep any potential mold from transferring to your other books, and then keep it in a cool, dry place. Almost all early books have some water damage, what with floods and fires and all, so as long as it's not actively decaying, and/or impossible to use, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Likewise small mold spots and foxing, which are very common in older books. The main thing you want to be concerned about is keeping it cool and dry, which will keep mold and mildew in check. By cool, I suggest 40-60 degrees F, if you can swing it. Inside temperatures that are away from a direct heat source if you can't.
If it's not an original binding and the spine is falling apart and making it hard to use and you really want to access it a lot, then consider getting it rebound. This will almost certainly cost you more than the book's worth, so consider well, my friend. I can probably rustle up someone to rebind it, but I'm not sure if I have any local contacts who do leather, and I have no idea what the timeline/price would be on that. Let me know if you want me to look into it.
ciao
beastie
ps: score! it sounds like a cool object and I'd love to look at it.
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