Family Bibles

[LynneWK]

I have inherited our Family Bible started when my grandparent were married 1910. It only contains our family and is in a very poor state. I have recently had a quote of £700 to have it repaired which is way over what I can afford. My dilemma is should I have the minimum amount of repair done. My own children don't think I should spend anything on its repair. However they have dozens of cousins who I'm sure would benefit from having it in a reasonable readable state. It is the only record of their great grandparent lives. My grandfather died shortly after WW1 so none of us knew him at all. Very few people actually read bible stories these days so I am thinking it's not worth repairing the 100 odd torn pages but the leather cover holding it all together might encourage family members to want to own it.
Any suggestions.
Lynne WK

 

[At home in NZ]

It is the only record of their great grandparent lives.

I have a photocopy of single page from a family bible that was handwritten and started about 1825 when my third great grandparents married.
It lists all their children, when and where they were born and the cemeteries the children who died were buried in.
I don't have the original, I created a jpg for my records.

If the pages with the family history in your bible are legible perhaps you could photocopy them and do something like i have done.
If you don't have the skills or equipment to do it yourself I expect a reputable copy and print shop or similar would do so for a lot less than £700.

 

[Pauline]

If the pages with the family history in your bible are legible perhaps you could photocopy them and do something like i have done.
If you don't have the skills or equipment to do it yourself I expect a reputable copy and print shop or similar would do so for a lot less than £700.

Possibly the best way to copy a page (or pages) from a fragile bible would be to photograph it. More or less any digital camera would do so long as you can get a decent resolution image from it.

If the main value of the bible is in the information it contains, then it's unlikely to be worth spending hundreds of pounds getting it restored. Instead spend a fraction of the money on acid free tissue paper to wrap it in and an archival quality box to store it in.

If you have photos of the whole thing and of the pages with the family information, you will not need to handle the book very often and so its condition should not deteriorate further.

 

[LynneWK]

Thank you both for your brilliant suggestions. I have contacted the book binder who has the book at the moment and asked if they can remove the pages and have them inserted/fixed into an acid free cover. Also I will make a photograph copy that I can distribute to the many cousins who's parents information is on the pages.
So glad I put this on the forum you have saved me hundreds of pounds. Many thanks

 

[peter]

I have inherited our Family Bible started when my grandparent were married 1910. It only contains our family and is in a very poor state. I have recently had a quote of £700 to have it repaired which is way over what I can afford. My dilemma is should I have the minimum amount of repair done.

My brother is a conservator who has worked at the British Museum, Museum of London, Imperial War Museum etc. Would you like me to get a second opinion before you commit to anything?

 

[LynneWK]

Yes please Peter that will be most kind if you.