Historical Perspectives in the Conservation of Works of Art on Paper. ed. Margaret Holben Ellis. Los Angeles, Calif.: The Getty Conservation Institute, 2014. xx, 524p. ISBN 978-1-60606-432-0. $70.00.

Abstract

Historical Perspectives in the Conservation of Works of Art on Paper provides a comprehensive collection of ninety-six readings—spanning six centuries—related to the conservation of paper-based art. Published by the Getty Conservation Institute, one of this work’s greatest strengths is its masterful organization of texts, which builds and climaxes in a finale that offers a multifaceted yet distinct and straightforward representation of the field of conservation.

The readings are gathered into eight sections based on the development of the technology behind and the thinking that underpins the field. “The Powers of Paper” illustrates various ideas about the role of paper. Practical, . . .