Behnke, Leo: The Conservation of Magic
©2000 Book Group, Las Vegas
Hardcover, 262 pages

Comments:

Contents:

1 Chapter 1 - Looking Ahead: Surveying the world of magic and the care it needs
2 Why?
4 Care
8 Problems
14 Insurance
17 Planning

21 Chapter 2 - The World of Books: taking care of conjuring literature for future owners
24 Condition
27 Glossary
30 Primary Information
33 Starting Out
34 Storage
40 Handling
45 Dustjackets
48 Marking Your Place
52 Bookplates
55 Fungi, Foxing & Vermin
61 Care & Repair
64 Repair Procedures
66 Tipping-In Pages
67 Repairing a Torn Leaf
69 Loose Hinges
70 Leather Problems
72 Dressing Leather
73 Saving Leather
75 Vellum
76 Guidelines for Bibliophiles

77 Chapter 3 - Delicate Ephemera: How to care fo the fragile history of conjuring
79 The Paper Chase
82 Glossary
84 Precautions
85 General Ephemera
90 Rolling
92 Encapsulation
94 Containers
96 Periodicals
99 Paper Storage
100 Prints
107 Posters
109 Mounting
111 Photos & Film
112 Type of Prints
113 Handling
114 Physical Problems
117 Enclosures
119 Mounts & Mats
122 Photographic Storage
126 Film Salvage
125 Display
128 Recordings
130 Tapes
132 Computers
133 Water Salvage
135 Summary

137 Chapter 4 - Decks - From Atomic to Zinab: Helpful hints on handling and storing playing cards
138 Describe Them
139 Glossary
142 Identification
144 Storage
145 Preservation & Repairs

151 Chapter 5 - Gimmicks and Props: The hardware of magic needs more than obvious care
151 General Cleaning
156 Wooden Props
147 Glass & Plastics
160 Metals
164 Coins/Medals/Chips
167 Cleaning Coins
168 Storage
170 Chips
171 Cleaning Chips
173 Magic Sets
175 Display and Storage Hints

177 Chapter 6 - Fruit of the Worm: the art of keeping silks beautiful and useful
179 The Basics
180 Other Fabrics
181 Light and Heat
182 Handling
182 Cleaning
185 Storage
188 Wardrobe Items

191 Chapter 7 - Keeping Track: Cataloging your treasures so you know what you have and where they are
192 Your Records
197 Dewey vs. the Library
202 A Magic System
204 Literary Classifications
207 Databases
210 Foreign Terms
213 Completing the System
216 Playing Cards

221 Chapter 8 - The Final Decision: Plan now for when you can't take care of your collection
224 Gifts
226 Wills
229 Institutions
231 Contributions
236 Selling It
238 Holding an Auction
243 Auction Personnel
245 The Auction

249 Bibliography
253 Sources
255 Artisans
257 Index

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Do you know the correct temperature for your library? What should the humidity be? Can you save rotting leather? What is the best method for storing playing cards? How do you recover computer discs that have been drowned? Just one reading of The Conservation of Magic will save you years of research and study in order to care for your artifacts so future collectors will find them in the best possible condition. Each chapter gives you the basics of understanding your magic collectibles, and then, step-by-step, how to care for them. You will learn to look at your treasures like a professional, as well as why they need special treatments, all of which are explained.

The world of collecting is not only chasing and acquiring yesterday's prizes, but also making sure that future collectors will be able to enjoy what we have today. Is your collecting properly protected against fire, flood, theft and light? Do you have your items catalogued in a way that not only lets you know what you have, but where it is? Do you know how to properly clean feather flowers or display magic sets? Have you planned on how your prized objects will be dispersed, either before or after your death?

The Conservation of Magic teaches you how to take better care of your collection of magic treasures, regardless of whether it consists of books, posters, silks, videos, playing cards, or feather flowers - you now get the lates information on how to properly clean, display, store, and repair them. Two long chaptes tell you how to catalog your collection and also how to dispose of it. Additional pages name companies as sources for materials and tools, professionals who will do restoration work for you, and four pages that list additional books that are eassily availabe to fursher your conservation education.

(Hardbound with dustjacket - 262 pages)