Palimpsests and Traces [of Conservation]

I have been thinking of the palimpset as a book structure on and off for a year or so; I even considered it to use and research as part of the BAO edition 2  project but I pushed it aside for later. I think that maybe later is now. I have just stumbled across these conservation videos from the Walters Art Museum about the 'Archimedes Palimpsest' which just intrigue me so much. And it is not just the sight of such an old tome that excites me.

This video below has a particularly interesting part at the end where she is using clear plastic transparency paper to mark off where the previous binding holes are. This as a form of mark-making very much speaks to me. It reminds me of the aesthetics of the contents page I made as part of the Robinson Papers; traces being traced to form a disembodied record; perhaps this is something that I need to take forward.

This video here also shows the same pen on transparency technique; mapping the damage to the manuscript. Maybe I need to talk to someone on the Conservation MA about this technique; find out more about it.

There is also this video on Vimeo which shows the pen to transparency technique more clearly. Aren't books fascinating?!

this is a picture of the 'contents page' of The Robinson Papers