Why they bind books in white cloth, and design dust jackets with mostly white background is beyond my comprehension. Something handled as much as a book should not be covered in white. Here is this fine dust jacket covering a very large book. The DJ has a small design on a lot of white, fine except for being speckled with raised black spots. On a patterned paper it might have blended. Here, it is blatant black on white.
First I tried lifting the spots with the tip of a knife blade. Nothing. Then a gingerly scratching. It left scratch marks in this unknown blackness. Then a favorite trick of book dealers - lighter fluid. It is liquid but leaves no stains as water does. Lighter fluid lifts the left-over stickiness from removed labels. I rubbed and scratched with the lighter fluid, but the speckles remained steadfast. (Yeah, Out Out Damned Spot - I felt like Lady Macbeth).
Then I acted reflexively, I put a tissue to my mouth, spat on it and wiped the spot. It lifted right off. I kept spitting and wiping. The white dust jacket is now pristine. Full of my DNA, but sparkling. It sounds disgusting, but it will be covered with clear Mylar to protect it. It will protect you from my spit, and protect it from your further abuse to the whiteness.
Spit was the common cleanser before all this fancy bottled stuff and impregnated cloths. How many of you remember getting your face cleaned by grandma's spit on a linen hankie? The word is used in many old-time phrases: Something's bothering you-spit it out. Spit balls. Spit 'n polish. Spit'n image. Not saliva, or expectorant. Good ol' spit.
Now when I discuss book repair, and I say, "It's on the tip of my tongue", it's really there.
--Florence
Florence, that is a wonderful story! Next time you have a problem articulating something, I will just tell you to, "Spit it out!"
Love,
Shelly
Posted by: Shelly Reuben | November 09, 2007 at 04:51 PM