PRESERVATION of RECORDS EMERV PROCESS (patented) kshrm$ K J° v h becvi&oote CJtorig Mf* P&rcAmentietc. fypert v/ork on Jnaent-k**** CoUM*? Ojletlak Pipers etc J$vntin$ oJMipA ^ Plans tfpedial' Piniinof. Z n Po$$W. EMERY RECORD PRESERVING CO. SUCCESSORS TO F.W.R.EMERY ( 3 S 3 SSS 3 TAUNTON. MASS. StSSSSD THE RESTORATION OF DECAYED RECORDS S of much concern to Custodians, and we have therefore compiled this pamphlet, believing it will make clear to many who are not familiar with the Emery Process that such records can be permanently reclaimed, and that the opportun¬ ity exists for securing the expert treatment this class ol work requires. The Emery Process Restores and Preserves the Original Record for constant use, making it stronger and more durable than a copy, at a large saving of expense. ROCHESTER-PURCHASE RECORDS, BOOK 3, TOWN OF ROCHESTER, MASS.—SHOWING RECORDS BEFORE BY THE EMERY PROCESS. TREATMENT - ROCPIESTER-PURCHASE RECORDS, BOOK 3, TOWN OF ROCHESTER, MASS.-SHOWING RECORDS AFTER TREATMENT BY THE EMERY PROCESS. 3 NO MATTER HOW BADLY TORN ||R decayed if the parts or pieces of the leaves are supplied, we retain them in a permanent form for constant use. This Process combines the old leaves into a binding stronger than any ol the ordinary kind— free opening, nicely bound and trimmed on the margin of new material, as shown in cut on page 3. This margin furnishes a protection to the edges of the record and prevents further loss by the wearing away of the writing. Cut of the Newport records shows the small pieces received for treatment which were similar to those mentioned on opposite page. FRAGMENTS OF NEWPORT, R. I., RECORDS TAKEN BY BRITISH AND SUNK WITH VESSEL IN HELL GATE. 4 HARVARD UNIVERSITY From Third Report of William Coolidge Lane, Librarian of Harvard University , 1900 . “ •AH tl le early manuscript records of the college have been preserved in fairly sound condition, except the earliest portions of the treasurer’s accounts, covering parts of the years 1669-1693. These suffered from a lon°- sojourn in John Hancock’s carriage house, where they were eaten by insects and discolored and rotted by damp, and, since their rescue in an incomplete condition, they have not been in such a state that they could be handled without falling to pieces. In May, with the permission of the corporation, these ragged pages were taken in hand by the Emery Record Co., of Taunton, and with admirable skill they have been mounted between almost trans¬ parent sheets of white silk, so that they may now be freely handled and are saved from further deterioration.” a MASSACHUSETTS S. P. SHARPLES, STATE ASSAYER, 13 BROAD STREET. Boston, Mass., May 3, 1899. To J. T. Mahoney, Esq., Register of Probate, Salem, Mass. Dear Sir:—I have carefully examined the process of F. W. R. Emery for the preservation of ancient records and books. He uses nothing in this process that can in any way injure the books, but the substances used protect the paper from further decay. I have had occasion to examine the work that has been done, at the state house and elsewhere, and find that it is well and skillfully done. By his process he has preserved documents that otherwise would, in the course of a very few years, have become worthless. Yours respectfully, S. P. SHARPLES. 6 M ASSACHUSETTS From Eleventh Report of Robert T. Swan, Commissioner of Pnblie Records. “ No one without large experience in examination of the records in the cities and town can have any conception of the condition of hundreds of the volumes, and no words can adequately picture their mutilated state. Many of the books have lost all semblance of ever having been in book form, and others, while having the leaves held together, have worn away on the corners and edges until they are oval if originally oblong, or circular if originally square. Attempts to rebind them have made them worse, the ordinary process having been to stitch together single leaves and glue them into covers, with the certain result that the inner edges thus treated will break off. In order to make good looking work, the outer edges have been trimmed, cutting off part of the text, often the last figure of a date. Fortunately a new process has come into use by which any paper, however decayed, can be preserved in its present condition between sheets of transparent silk. Many of the records had been treated by this process before the passage of Chapter 439 of the Acts of 1897 ; but under that act, which allows the recording officers to place the records in the custody of the commissioner for binding, much more work has been done. ” 7 ADJUTANT-GENERAL DEPT., STATE HOUSE BOSTON, MASS.—MUSTER ROLLS BEFORE TREATMENT BY THE EMERY PROCESS. ADJUTANT-GENERAL DEPT., STATE PIOUSE, BOSTON, MASS.-MUSTER ROLLS RESTORED AND PRESERVED BY THE EMERY PROCESS. The preserving of these Muster Rolls was recognized at the Thirty-Fourth National Encampment, G. A. R , and resolutions were adopted congratulating the State of Massachusetts upon the carrying out of this important work by this most improved method, and recommending that similar action be undertaken by departments where all such Original Muster Rolls are kept on file. Showing Condition of Burnt Leaves Saved from the Fire. Book as Completed by the Emery Process. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R. I., RECORDS DAMAGED BY FIRE. 10 RHODE ISLAND From Fourth Annual Report of the State Record Commissioner. “ The records preserved by the Emery Process were, many of them, in such fragile condition as to be con¬ sidered by one unfamiliar with the process as past renovation. Mr. Joyce, recorder of deeds of Providence, in referring to the restored records in his office says: “ After examining into the merits of the Emery Process, I decided that it would be advisable to give it a trial, as searchers of records always prefer to examine the original records. I am quite satisfied with the results so far. I was fearful at first that the writing in these books might be obscured by the covering of thin silk used in this process, but am agreeably disappointed, as I find there is no appreciable effect upon the legibility of the records. The pores of the silk are finally filled with a paraffine prepa¬ ration, which treatment is intended to prevent the lodging of dirt through the handling to which the books are subject. Whether this treatment is successful, time will demonstrate; however, I do not apprehend any trouble on this score.” “ The process has the merits of preserving original records in a condition fit for public use and costing less than the work of recopying in cases of very old records where the writing is hard to decipher. I believe the City of Providence has been saved from $800 to $ 1,000 through the adoption of this method in preserving these two books.” 11 E N N Y L V A N A *5>«gxSxS> WILLIAM PENN’S AUTOGRAPH AN D SEAL. William Penn Records Property of the State of Pennsylvania. From the Biennial Report of W. N. Griest, Secretary of the Commonwealth , State of Pennsylvania , 1900. “ On file in this office are many old parchments, deeds and records of the state from the time of the Penns. Several of these bear the signature of William Penn, and one under the date of 1681, executed in England for the transfer of land in Pennsylvania, antedates by a year the arrival of the great quaker in America. There are vy SIGNATURES OF INDIAN CHIEFS. 12 PENNSYLVANIA among these time-worn treasures orginal deeds from the Duke of York and numerous parchments signed by the Penn s sons as his agents, one of the most important being the original agreement between Lord Baltimore and Thomas and Richard Penn relating to the Pennsylvania-Maryland boundary line, which resulted in the historic survey by Mason and Dixon. For many decades prior to the year 1899 these records were kept in tin boxes in this department. As they were quite frequently examined by historians, students and seekers of treasure-trove, much confusion resulted; many of the old waxen seals dropped off from the cracking and crumbled papers, and the entire collection of historical records was rapidly going to destruction, some being in fragments and others scarcely legible. Deeming it important that these valuable records should be arranged in a manner insuring their protection and preservation in convenient form, I directed that they be prepared for preservation by what is known as the Emery Process, which was highly recommended by state department officials elsewhere of whom I made inquiry. Each document has been carefully flattened and cleaned, and then pressed between layers of transparent tissue of white silk; they were then arranged in page form and strongly bound in two large volumes. They are now convenient for reference and examination, and are protected in such manner to insure their preservation for more centuries than they have existed.” 1 3 ANCIENT RECORDS DIGHTON WRITING ROCK. Supposed to have been marked by the Norsemen on their early voyage to this country. T | ^HE Oldest Record Book written in the United States is the Elder Brewster Diary, kept at Plymouth, M ass., commencing 1620. This book we have restored and preserved, and it is now in daily use for reference. ■4 CON NECTICUT From Report of the Commission of Public Records , 1900. “ In regard to the mechanical side of the preservation of public records, the commission desire to emphasize the necessity of purchasing books of first-class material only, and of having repairs made by none but first-class binders. For ancient records we heartily recommend the so-called Emery Process, by which old and crumbling pages are hermetically sealed up between transparent sheets of silk tissue. This process has been used with good effect, and stood the test of a number of years in many of the record offices of Massachusetts and other states. It has also been used extensively in this state on the town records of Guilford, Sharon and Salisbury, and also in the probate offices in Guilford and Hartford. The commission have taken pains to secure from the custodians of the records in all these places a statement concerning the work done and find that it has uniformly given good satisfaction.” *5 THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of our business is the care and protection given to records placed in our hands. We make this a special system of our work which is carefully carried out in the different stages. FIRE PROOF VAULTS retain all such records, and our specialty of handling this class of work compels arrangements for its safety which ordinarily would not be had. WE HAVE FACILITIES for doing this work in all parts of the country, and can make special arrangements in cases where there is a large amount to be done. 16 HACKE PRESS, TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS