Newsletter Volume 20 / No. 1 / 2016 A Brief History and the Conservation of Sir Walter Raleigh’s History of the World BY JUSTIN P. JOHNSON he History of the original title page was missing and World is one of the the first leaves were not in the correct better known liter- order (fig. 4). The endbands and orig- ary achievements of inal endpapers were lost, and a poorly Sir Walter Raleigh, executed leather repair contributed to Ta controversial Elizabethan author further degradation of the textblock. (fig. 1). The University of Washington The 1617 edition was in slightly Libraries has two copies of Raleigh’s better condition but also had a History, a 1614 first edition printed by number of issues that made handling 1: Sir Walter Raleigh (1552 – 1618) William Stansby and a 1617 edition difficult. Much of the original char- printed by William Jaggard (fig. 2). acter of the book was lost when it The two volumes were both in need was trimmed and rebound in a later, of extensive conservation work. half-leather style. The new structure I undertook this work in the fall of was not suitable for the size and weight 2013 when I first joined the University of the textblock and had begun to of Washington Libraries. The conser- deteriorate. Thin covering materials vation treatment of these two editions were used in the newer binding, result- of Raleigh’s History of the World ing in detached boards and the total highlights how curatorial consultation loss of the spine. The false endbands combined with careful bibliographic were also beginning to unravel (fig. 5). research can have a significant impact The poor condition of both editions on the appropriate treatment of rare was limiting use, so it was decided that and important works. both copies should receive rebinding. The 1614 edition would receive a much Condition more comprehensive resewing, repair, 2: Top: 1614 First Edition, printed by William During an initial consultation with the and recovering. The 1617 edition, Stansby. Bottom: 1617 Second Edition, printed curator, it was decided that treatment having long lost any original binding by William Jaggard. of both copies of The History of the components, would receive only a World should be undertaken in tan- partial rebinding using a simple design Call for Participation dem. The 1614 copy, a first edition, had to be historically sympathetic and extensive marginalia and annotations functional. We encourage you to send your throughout, which are believed to be papers about your special projects, labs, challenges, what you do and how you roughly contemporary to the printing History do it. Share your valuable experience of the volume. These handwritten The bibliographic life of Raleigh’s with others who need to know how you notes make the volume unique and History is as interesting as Sir Walter handle similar challenges. Do you have interesting to scholars. Due to heavy Raleigh’s life and filled with success, something to contribute to the Archival use, the textblock was split into many pitfalls, and controversy. Sir Walter Products Newsletter? Please contact pieces (fig. 3) and the first section Raleigh was a contemporary of Janice Comer, 866.518.1081 or janicec@ of the book was fully detached. The William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson archival.com. 1 Visit our web site at: www.archival.com and was a favorite among the court public. It is believed the Crown then of Elizabeth I. Not without enemies, resold the confiscated copies back Raleigh was also deeply mistrusted by to the public for a profit. The later Elizabeth’s successor James I, who had 1617 edition, also printed by Stansby, Raleigh imprisoned for treason upon became the first to bear a printed title 3 ascending the throne. It was during his page. By that time Raleigh was out 13-year confinement in the Tower of of jail, nominally back in the King’s London (1603-1616) that Raleigh wrote favor, and well on his way to South The History of the World. The work was America in pursuit of the treasures originally conceived as a five-volume of El Dorado. In the course of the set meant to cover ancient history to expedition, Raleigh’s men attacked his present, though Raleigh only ever a Spanish outpost on the Orinoco managed to complete the first volume. River, inflaming relations between the It was during the initial examina- kingdoms of England and Spain. This tion of the two volumes that the full ultimately led to Raleigh’s beheading impact of Raleigh’s troubled life on at the Palace of Westminster in 1618. his work became apparent. In order to Speculation suggests that Walter determine the proper order of the first Burre transferred the printing contract leaves of the 1614 edition, a compari- for The History of the World from son was made to digital copies of the William Stansby to William Jaggard, same edition. Of the four copies virtu- who used the Stansby 1617 edition as ally inspected, three had lost their title a template to produce a new edition in 4 page. In reviewing digital copies of the 1621. Jaggard made a significant error 1617 edition, I discovered that both in his printing by neglecting to change William Stansby and William Jaggard the date on the engraved colophon had printed a second edition in 1617; used in Stansby’s 1617 edition. Many a fact that seemed highly unusual. copies of the third edition were then Luckily the available research on this mistakenly dated 1617, later causing topic is extensive and outlines a very confusion and scholarly debate about interesting story, one that challenged The History of the World’s publication assumptions I had made about both history. It is now accepted that Jaggard the 1614 and 1617 editions held at the only released a 1621 edition, and that University of Washington. the 1617 Jaggard edition was simply Consistent with other works of the result of a typesetter’s mistake. It the time, The History of the World is is likely the compositor responsible 5 a commentary on modern life thinly for the colophon simply neglected to veiled in an elaborate historical narra- change the date from 1617 to 1621, tive. The work was originally printed resulting in a number of copies being by William Stansby for Walter Burre bound and finished with an erroneous in 1614, however it was immediately date. The 1617 Stansby edition is now suppressed by the Church of England considered the true second edition, upon publication for what was deemed while the 1617 Jaggard edition is to be a harsh criticism of monarchies. considered a “ghost” edition with an By order of King James I, the court incorrect colophon. The 1621 Jaggard ordered all copies of the 1614 edition edition is considered a true third to have their title pages removed with edition. In short, this complicated the intent of slowing Raleigh’s growing publication history brought about, 6 influence and popularity among the in part, by Raleigh’s complicated 2 Visit our web site at: www.archival.com personal history, led to our discovery adhered with wheat starch paste, and that the UW Libraries’ 1617 second finally reassembled into a true gather- edition copy is actually a 1621 “ghost” ing. edition. It also confirmed that our New endsheets were created from 1614 edition had not lost its title page a period-style western laid paper. due to condition. In all likelihood, Thread and sewing support materials 7: 1614 Fronticepiece, L: Normal Light the title page was removed by order of were chosen and the textblock was R: Transmitted Light King James I. sewn in a style similar to the original, over six raised bands (fig. 9). Rather Conservation than sewing endbands directly onto Conservation treatment of the 1614 the textblock, a period-style (linen) edition started with careful photo doc- endband was sewn off the textblock umentation followed by the removal of over a core of aero-linen and leather. the loose overback attachment of the The new endbands were then aged spine and boards (fig. 6). The original with an application of diluted water- sewing structure was recorded during color and were attached to the spine this process and recognized to be in along with primary spine liners of an alternating two-on and three-on western handmade paper (fig. 10). style over six raised sewing supports. Boards were fashioned from laminated The textblock was then taken down to binder’s board and attached with an individual sections and dry-cleaned overall lining of aero-linen, which with a combination of brush and extended from the lower board face 8 smoke sponge. over the spine and across the upper The loose leaves of the first section, board face. The extended aero-linen including a single flyleaf, required lining providing both a strong board significant cleaning and repair since attachment and a smooth continuous they were discolored by surface dirt surface for adhering the leather cover- and had extensive tears and losses. ing (fig. 11). Dyed calfskin was chosen The engraved frontispiece was in for the final covering and was applied especially rough condition. It had with wheat starch paste and finished been poorly trimmed and lined with with simple period-style tooling and a a heavy application of hide glue and a label (fig. 12). heavy paper (fig. 7 during an earlier The 1617 “ghost” edition did not attempt at repair. The stiffened leaf require resewing, although it did 9 likely prevented the engraving from receive new endpapers, endbands, functioning in harmony with the rest boards, and covering. The original of the gathering, ultimately leading spine liners were removed and to its detachment (fig.