Stumbled on a 1920s ledger book at a garage sale in Dayton last Saturday

Snagged it for $3. The binding was shot - staples rusted through, covers hanging by threads. But the pages were intact. Handwritten accounts of a local hardware store from 1922 to 1926. Now I'm thinking about rebinding it myself. First time doing something this old. Any tips on cleaning decades of dust and grime off ledger paper without wrecking it?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryang778d ago

Whoa, hold on a second. That sounds like a terrible idea to me. In my experience, old ledger paper from the 20s is incredibly brittle and any moisture at all will turn it into pulp. You're way more likely to lose the handwriting than save the pages. I'd say just leave the grime alone, it's part of the history, and your $3 gamble is exactly what you paid for.

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hugo2368d ago

Nah, I've had good luck with a light touch and distilled water on old ledgers. A careful test on a tiny corner before you dive in tells you everything.