The use of enzymatic gels in the conservation treatment of Mendelssohn’s ‘Green Books’

This paper discusses the conservation treatment
of the incoming correspondence of the German
musician and composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847). It presents the challenges encountered during the conservation of this collection
of letters, which were strongly adhered together
and presented fugitive inks on delicate papers.
After several trials and experiments, a tailored enzymatic treatment was developed to detach the
letters from each other. The enzyme trypsin was
incorporated into agarose gel and used to treat
animal glue, whilst the enzyme α-amylase mixed
with water, in tandem with humidification through
Gore-Tex, was used to treat starch paste. The letters were then stabilised with a gelatine-coated
remoistenable tissue and rehoused in archival folders, ready for digitisation.