Summarized by Lauren Gottschlich

The Washington Conservation Guild kicked off the 2022-2023 season with a set of excellent talks, all focused on library and archive materials.  Jennifer Jarvis presented the first talk “Exploring and Conserving the Women of the Book Collection” on behalf of Laura McNulty who was a key player in this project.

In 2022, Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries launched the exhibit Women of the Book:  The Spiritual Lives of Early Modern Women, 1450-1800.  In conjunction with and in preparation for the exhibit, the entire collection was surveyed, a process which is ongoing.  This unique collection documents the lives of nuns through more than 800 objects and is the largest and most complete of its kind. The collection includes pamphlets, manuscripts, and ephemera, 90% of which are in vernacular languages.  Many of the titles are exceedingly rare and some items are one of a kind.  Each item captures what it was like to live and worship in European convents. 

Jarvis’ overview of the extensive collection showed the importance of the material.  Biographies, sermons, conduct books, devotionals, processional volumes, and handcrafted objects capture a unique lens into the life of these women.  Jarvis noted that working with this collection was at times challenging The topics and information covered in the collection could be extremely heavy, moving, and jarring to modern audiences.  In sharp contrast, some items, particularly those made as a means of funding the convent through outside sales were carefully crafted and items of incredible wonder. This collection captures the multifaceted lives of the nuns.   

To fully document the collection, McNulty created a database to use while surveying.  The database captured how each book was bound, if there were any previous repairs, and the current condition of each piece.  During the survey, each individual book received a thorough assessment.  

The construction of the books was instrumental to understanding the collection. Small features, such as a book’s  construction can be indicative of a particular binder or workshop.  Additionally, library stamps, annotations, and inserts can show how books were used, where they were used, and if a book was transferred to other locations over time.   Since much of the collection is marked and had short journeys from the convents to Johns Hopkins, the provenance and evidence of use can in most cases be fully established.

But the team was not only tracking the journey of the books but also the evidence of repair. As sermons, devotionals, and other religious material was used, repairs were undertaken by the women at the convents.  Jarvis noted that the repairs varied in their materials and were unique and exciting.  Some repairs were completed by individuals who had experience or knowledge in binding books, while others used whatever material they had on-hand.  The results are surprising.  One unique find was a hand-stitched repair on paper, something that is more commonly seen on parchment. Another text featured a repair utilizing a velvet ribbon, something that is and perhaps never will gain traction in typical book conservation.  The speaker clearly demonstrated how these commonly overlooked details, were important to capture as often some  more subtle repairs look as if they were part of the manufacture of the book, but rather were evidence of the objects use over time.

Jarvis and McNulty’s talk shed light on an incredible collection.  The documentation of what these early modern women read, how they lived, and how their belongings made it to Johns Hopkins is a wealth of information.  Check out the portfolio of the exhibit here! And if you want to hear the talk for yourself, please visit

In 2022, Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries launched the exhibit Women of the Book:  The Spiritual Lives of Early Modern Women, 1450-1800.  In conjunction with and in preparation for the exhibit, the entire collection was surveyed, a process which is ongoing.  This unique collection documents the lives of nuns through more than 800 objects and is the largest and most complete of its kind. The collection includes pamphlets, manuscripts, and ephemera, 90% of which are in vernacular languages.  Many of the titles are exceedingly rare and some items are one of a kind.  Each item captures what it was like to live and worship in European convents. 

Jarvis’ overview of the extensive collection showed the importance of the material.  Biographies, sermons, conduct books, devotionals, processional volumes, and handcrafted objects capture a unique lens into the life of these women.  Jarvis noted that working with this collection was at times challenging The topics and information covered in the collection could be extremely heavy, moving, and jarring to modern audiences.  In sharp contrast, some items, particularly those made as a means of funding the convent through outside sales were carefully crafted and items of incredible wonder. This collection captures the multifaceted lives of the nuns.   

To fully document the collection, McNulty created a database to use while surveying.  The database captured how each book was bound, if there were any previous repairs, and the current condition of each piece.  During the survey, each individual book received a thorough assessment.  

The construction of the books was instrumental to understanding the collection. Small features, such as a book’s  construction can be indicative of a particular binder or workshop.  Additionally, library stamps, annotations, and inserts can show how books were used, where they were used, and if a book was transferred to other locations over time.   Since much of the collection is marked and had short journeys from the convents to Johns Hopkins, the provenance and evidence of use can in most cases be fully established.

But the team was not only tracking the journey of the books but also the evidence of repair. As sermons, devotionals, and other religious material was used, repairs were undertaken by the women at the convents.  Jarvis noted that the repairs varied in their materials and were unique and exciting.  Some repairs were completed by individuals who had experience or knowledge in binding books, while others used whatever material they had on-hand.  The results are surprising.  One unique find was a hand-stitched repair on paper, something that is more commonly seen on parchment. Another text featured a repair utilizing a velvet ribbon, something that is and perhaps never will gain traction in typical book conservation.  The speaker clearly demonstrated how these commonly overlooked details, were important to capture as often some  more subtle repairs look as if they were part of the manufacture of the book, but rather were evidence of the objects use over time.

Jarvis and McNulty’s talk shed light on an incredible collection.  The documentation of what these early modern women read, how they lived, and how their belongings made it to Johns Hopkins is a wealth of information.  Check out the portfolio of the exhibit here! And if you want to hear the talk for yourself, please visit WCG’s Youtube page for a recording!