"Egg" armchair by Arne Jacobsen (1957), MET Museum of Art

"Arne Jacobsen: 'Egg' armchair (61.7.46)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/11/eue/ho_61.7.46.htm (October 2006)

"Studies of ancient Egytian footwear ..." by Veldmeijer (2009)

Veldmeijer, A. J.; "Studies of ancient Egytian footwear. Technological aspects. Part XV. Leather curled-toe ankle shoes", PalArch's Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology 6 (4) (2009) 1-21

Abstract:
In ancient Egypt sandals were a common commodity despite the fact that people must have been used to walking on bare feet. Shoes were less common though several types are known from the archaeological record. Despite the many examples of footwear, however, detailed studies are lacking. The present paper presents the closed shoes ‘curled-toe ankle shoes’, that are made of leather. The focus, as is usual in this series, lies on manufacturing technology; other topics are discussed in passing. A preliminary typology is proposed.

"The Gamo hideworkers of southwestern Ethiopia and Cross-Cultural Comparisons" by Weedman Arthur (2008)

Weedman Arthur, K. J.; "The Gamo hideworkers of southwestern Ethiopia and Cross-Cultural Comparisons", Anthropozoologica 43 (1) (2008) 67-98.

Abstract:

Hideworking was practiced prehistorically and historically in nearly every region of the world. Today hideworking is practiced using stone tools only in parts of North America, Siberia, and Ethiopia. This article reviews and explains the diversity in hideworking practices among the Gamo of southern Ethiopia, in particular focusing on the variation of the stone scrapers, handles, and use of space. The Gamo hideworking practices and materials are then compared to customs in other parts of the world. It is concluded that intra-cultural and cross-cultural material and practical homogeneity and diversity can only be explained through an understanding of localized histories in the their global contexts.

"Analysis of collagen structure in parchment by small angle X-ray diffraction" by Kennedy et al (2003)

Kennedy, C. J., Nielsen, K.; Ramsay, L.; Wess, T. J., "Analysis of collagen structure in parchment by small angle X-ray diffraction", Fibre Diffraction Review 11 (2003) 117-118

"Apuntes sobre la elaboración del cuero y su historia" por Pantojo (2004)

Pantojo, A. F. V. ; "Apuntes sobre la elaboración del cuero y su historia: noticias sobre una fábrica de curtir pieles en Algeciras", Eúphoros 7 (2004) 21-24

Resumen:
El trabajo del cuero pertenece al sector industrial o secundario, y su origen es tan antiguo como la existencia del hombre. En el presente artículo haremos un ligero recorrido por la historia de este material, su tratamiento y el desarrollo de su industria, y esto servirá de introducción para pasar después a la historia de una fábrica de curtir pieles en Algeciras, y que perteneció en los últimos años de su existencia a la familia Salas Fernández, de cuyo archivo familiar hemos transcrito un documento sobre la herencia y propiedad de este negocio. Los datos obtenidos nos servirán para ampliar un poco más las escasas noticias sobre este tipo de industrias en Algeciras.

About furs by Cripps (1903)

Cripps, George; About furs, Liverpool (1903)

Table of contents:
I. A few general remarks on colour quality
II. Fur markets
III. Dressing, dyeing and topping
IV. Sheep skins and lambs used for fur purposes
V. Rabbits, hares, cats, opossums, lynxes and foxes
VI. Bears, skunks, beavers, otters, wolverines
VII. Sables, martens, kolinsky
VIII. Seals
IX. Lions, tigers and leopards
X. Fur linings and furs usually used for linings
XI. The care of furs

Traité de chimie appliquée aux arts par Dumas (1844)

Jean-Baptiste Dumas, Traité de chimie appliquée aux arts, Tome VII, Bechet Jeune Libraire-Editeur, Paris (1844)

No capítulo 17 deste livro são descritos vários procedimentos de curtimenta de peles animais em uso em França na primeira metade do século XIX.

"Survey of current methods and materials used for the conservation of leather bookbindings" by St. John (2000)

St. John, Kristen; "Survey of current methods and materials used for the conservation of leather bookbindings", The Book and Paper Group Annual 19 (2000)

Abstract:
This survey gathered information from twenty-three book conservators on methods and materials used in the conservation of leather bookbindings in laboratories throughout the United States. The conservators work predominantly with special collections, in institutions with older collections, or have treatment responsibilities for special collections materials. The primary goal of this survey was to determine how conservators are treating leather bookbindings. A secondary goal was to determine how new materials and methods that have been developed or introduced to the field of book conservation within the past twenty-five years are being used in conservation labs.
The survey was divided into five sections. The first section asked for background information on staffing levels. The second section questioned respondents about the treatment of existing or original leather bindings. The third section of the survey sought information about rebinding books using new leather bindings. The fourth section covered the use of preparations on leather such as leather dressings, waxes and cellulose ethers. The fifth and final section inquired whether the labs had standardized their procedures for treating leather bindings.

"Parchment treatments", BPG-AIC (1994)

Newman, W.; Quandt, A.; et al, "18. Parchment treatments", in Paper Conservation Catalog, American Institute for Conservation Book and Paper Group, Washington D.C. (1994)

"A monta 'à brida´e 'à jineta' nas planícies da Península Ibérica - selas, arreios e protecção do cavaleiro cristão e muçulmano" por Pereira (2008)

Pereira, Franklin; "A monta 'à brida´e 'à jineta' nas planícies da Península Ibérica - selas, arreios e protecção do cavaleiro cristão e muçulmano", Mirabilia 8 (2008) 108-135

Resumo:

A Península Ibérica foi o palco de confrontação das duas escolas hípicas mais salientes da época medieval: a monta à jineta, introduzida no al-Andalus a partir da vinda de berberes para o exército califal, e a monta à brida, identificada com o exército cristão nortenho. Cada tipo de monta exige diferentes apetrechos para o cavalo, e diferentes protecções para o cavaleiro, implicando também diferentes tácticas de combate. Com a expulsão do domínio islâmico e a posterior introdução de armas de fogo, a monta à jineta passou a estar confinado ao toureio a cavalo e aos jogos da alta escola de equitação. O tipo de sela portuguesa tradicional parece decorrer da sela à jineta; a sua decoração de cravos metálicos está ligada às marcas obrigatórias nos jaezes califais do século X. A documentação do ofício da centuria de quinhentos mostra prolongamentos ainda nos dias de hoje.

Parade shield, 16th century, MET Museum of Art

"Parade shield [Venice] (42.50.31)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (March 2007)

El uso de la piel animal como soporte para obra gráfica original por Martínez Garcia (2006)

Martínez Garcia, Óscar Juan; El uso de la piel animal como soporte para obra gráfica original, Tesis doctoral, Departamento de Dibujo, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (2006)

Resumen:

Desde los albores de la humanidad, los cueros y pieles animales han sido utilizados por la práctica totalidad de las civilizaciones, tanto en utensilios de todo tipo, como dentro del campo de los objetos que podríamos denominar artísticos. La presencia de este material en el arte ha sido, sin embargo, secundaria y tangencial, pero es precisamente aquí donde la presente tesis centrará su atención, tratando de aportar nuevas perspectivas para los cueros como soportes artísticos dentro del mundo del grabado y la estampación. Para lograr tal objetivo, la investigación se ha dividido en cuatro grandes bloques aparentemente independientes, pero que al mismo tiempo se complementan para avanzar hacia una comprensión progresiva de las posibilidades plásticas que el soporte que nos ocupa puede ofrecer al estampador. El primero de ellos versa sobre las características generales del soporte, su histología, composición y curtido, así como los posibles problemas e inconvenientes que pueden surgir durante su manipulación. En el segundo apartado se analizan diferentes manifestaciones artísticas que han tenido al cuero como soporte para su realización, dividiéndolas entre Arte sobre piel, aquel en el que el cuero sirve como receptor de la obra, y Arte en piel, cuando el material que nos ocupa deja de ser un mero receptáculo para pasar a convertirse en parte constituyente de la obra plástica. Finalizados estos dos apartados eminentemente teóricos, la investigación se adentra en el campo de experimentación práctica, la cual está a su vez dividida en dos apartados. En el primero, se lleva a cabo una catalogación de diferentes tipos de cueros según su respuesta a la impresión con diversos procedimientos y técnicas de grabado y estampación (xilografía, calcografía, punta seca, transferencia y estezado), analizando los resultados obtenidos de manera objetiva para dilucidar qué pieles son las idóneas para avanzar en nuestra investigación. Por último, el apartado final de la presente tesis.

Abstract:
From the beginnings of humanity, leather and animal skins have been used by the vast majority of civilisations with a practical purpose, but also in the creation of objects that could be called artistic. Nevertheless, these materials have been present in Art in a secondary and tangential way. This thesis will focus its attention on this aspect, trying to furnish new prospects to the leather as an artistic support in the engraving and printing fields. For achieving that objective, the research has been divided into four main sections, apparently independent, which all together go forward to a progressive understanding of the plastic possibilities offered to the engraver by the object under consideration. The first of these sections turns on the general features of the support, its histology, composition and tanning, as well as the eventual problems and issues that could arise during its manipulation. The second one analyses several artistic manifestations having used leather as their main support. These will be split into two main groups: Art on leather, where the material is the holder of the work itself and Art of leather, where the material under study is not a mere receptacle any more but a constituent part of the plastic work. Concluded these two eminently theoretical sections, the research goes into the field of plastic experimentation, divided itself into two new sections. The first of them will classify the leathers according to their printing response to different engraving and printing methods and techniques (i.e. xylography, etching, dry point, embossing) analysing the results in an objective way in order to identify the best materials for the research. Finally, the very last section of the thesis is completely dedicated to the creation of a project for an original plastic work reflecting the conclusions obtained during the research and using the leathers not only as a support for the pieces, but as one of their creative elements. As a complement to the theoretical development of the work, all the printing samples using the different techniques have been included in an attached document. The statistical tables elaborated with the analysis of the results obtained during the cataloguing process have also been attached.

"Evaluation of femtosecond laser pulse irradiation of ancient parchment" by Walczak et al (2008)

Walczak, M.; Oujja, M.; Crespo-Arcá, L.; García, A.; Méndez, C.; Moreno, P.; Domingo, C.; Castillejo, M.; "Evaluation of femtosecond laser pulse irradiation of ancient parchment", Applied Surface Science 255 (5) Part 2 (2008) 3179-3183 (restricted access)

doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2008.09.011

Abstract:

In this work, femtosecond (fs) laser irradiation of ancient parchment is evaluated as a novel cleaning technique that, in comparison with nanosecond (ns) irradiation, could considerably reduce the thermal and chemical damage to the substrate. To investigate the interaction of ultrashort laser pulses with parchment, two historical specimens were exposed to Ti:Sapphire laser using the fundamental and second harmonic emission (795 and 398 nm, 120 fs pulses). The ablation threshold fluences were determined resulting in values of 1.1 and 0.15 J/cm² at 795 and 398 nm respectively. A study of the effects of the fs laser–parchment interaction as a function of fluence and wavelength was carried out and the results were compared with those obtained for Nd:YAG laser irradiation (532 and 355 nm, pulse duration 6 ns). FT-Raman spectra show the disappearance of the amorphous carbon bands upon fs treatment, indicative of the removal of the carbonaceous contamination of the parchment. At the same time the parchment structural bands remain unaffected. Spectrofluorimetric measurements reveal an enhancement of photodegradation products in the substrate. Results are discussed in terms of the comparison between expected mechanisms operating in the fs and ns irradiation regimes.

The shoe industry by Allen (1916?)

Allen, F. J.; The shoe industry, The vocation bureau of Boston, 1916(?)


Table of contents:
Preface
I. Historical sketch
II. Shoe machinery
III. Last-making
IV. Pattern-making
V. Leather
VI. The department of shoe manufacture
VII. Methods in shoe manufacture
VIII. The upper leather department
IX. The stitching department
X. The sole leather department
XI. The making department
XII. Finishing, treeing, packing and shipping
XIII. Employment conditions and supplementary material
XIV. Explanation of the terms used in shoemaking
XV. Shoe and leather bibliography

Poulaine, c. 1300-1450, MET Museum of Art

"Shoe (29.158.914)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/07/euwb/ho_29.158.914.htm (October 2006)

The book of the feet: a history of boots and shoes by Hall (1847)

Hall, J. S.; The book of the feet: a history of boots and shoes, William Graham, New York (1847)

Tenture de cuir estampé, c.1600, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris

Panneau de tenture de cuir estampé
Venise vraisemblablement, vers 1600
Cuir estampé, aux fers, argenture à la feuille, et verni d’or, et peint
Inv. PE 462

Essai sur l'histoire du parchemin et du vélin par Peignot (1812)

Peignot, Gabriel; Essai sur l'histoire du parchemin et du vélin, Paris (1812)

"The chemical degradation of leather" by Larsen (2008)

Larsen, R.; " The chemical degradation of leather", CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry 62 (11) (2008) 899-902 (restricted access)

DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2008.899

Abstract:

The chemical deterioration of vegetable tanned leather is caused by acid hydrolysis and oxidation due to environmental deteriorative factors like air pollutants, heat and light. In addition, the type of tannin material influences the rate of deterioration. The degree of deterioration can be measured by the fall in the shrinkage temperature (Ts) of the leather. New analysis of data shows that, although environmental factors have a generally larger influence on the deterioration, the average degree of oxidation is greater in older leathers and it significantly influences the Ts in these materials. Moreover, it is also shown that acid pollution is indicated in the relation between pH and the sulphate content measured in the leathers although ammonia is released by oxidation of amino acids and may influence the pH value in acid-damaged leathers.

Ramsden Shagreen Opera Monocular, c. 1770, College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona

Description:
This monocular has a short round parallel cardboard barrel, covered with shagreen. The objective is contained in a brass cell and is a single non-achromatic lens (possibly a replacement). It has one cardboard draw, covered in red leather with tooled on silver-colored floral designs. The single eye lens, which is cracked, is mounted in a flared eyecup made of a material which could be ivory painted or colored black. The two black rings at either end of the barrel are made of this same material. It is signed "RAMSDEN LONDON" on the draw, with the eyecup to the right. It comes with a red leather-covered cardboard or wood case.