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Florentine Bookbinding And Restoration, Emily Erin Purcell

Senior Theses

Florence, Italy is a hub for art and literature. These two disciplines come together in the tradition of bookbinding, which is alive and well in Florence. A city that appreciates its own rich culture, Florence maintains many traditional practices and crafts, such as bookbinding and metalworking. The Florentines preserve more than just practices, though. The numerous museums in Florence work to physically protect and store pieces of art, artifacts, and documents. All of this preservation was challenged in 1966, with the flood of Florence’s Arno River. The flood destroyed countless manuscripts, books, and pieces of art. With this devastation, a …