Folk Binding: The Joseph Stidham Diary
Joseph H. Stidham (1788–1870) was a ropemaker and wire weaver from Wilmington, Delaware. An active diarist, and he bound his own notebooks using whatever materials he had at hand. From offcuts of leather pants, to scraps of cloth, and recycled paper, Stidham made utilitarian and charming covers for his diaries. The pages within are often held together with colored thread, stick pins, and wax. This presentation by Luke K. Kelly, Fellow, Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, will examine the conservation treatment of one of Stidham’s journals from the collection and discuss the importance of preserving idiosyncratic “folk bindings” and their value as artifacts. Registration required. Free.