Turner prints restored to original glory

A fascinating collection of engraved prints by artist JMW Turner has been returned to Dundee City Council following extensive restoration work by the University's Book and Paper Conservation Studio.

Turner's Liber Studiorum or study book is a collection of 73 beautifully engraved prints, produced between 1807 and 1819. The prints show marine, mountainous, architectural, historical and pastoral views around Britain, many in Scotland. It was a project that dominated Turner's working life for close to twenty years.

It is believed that less than 200 sets were created; the set in Dundee, which was formerly in the library of the Earl of Camperdown, includes two unpublished prints.

The Liber Studiorum was formally returned to the Council last month by University Principal Sir Alan Langlands.

At a reception to celebrate the return Lord Provost John Letford praised the "spirit of cooperation" between the City and the University which made the restoration work possible.

"We are delighted we have this expertise on our doorstep and that it can be used to preserve these icons of learning for future generations," he said. "It is one of the City's treasures and will for centuries to come promote a sense of wonder by virtue of its intrinsic beauty, so subtly enhanced by the skills and dedication of our 21st century conservators.

"The reconstituted work is also now more capable of undergoing digital processes which means that the delights of Turner's labour of love can be presented in all their glory to a wider audience."

The prints are housed in two bespoke leather bound cases that date from the late 19th century. All of the prints were treated with some requiring painstaking conservation, which included taking them from their mounts and washing and pressing them to remove distortion.

Liber Studiorum has been returned to the rare book collection of Dundee Central Library and will feature in the forthcoming "Dei Donum - 500 Years of Printing in Scotland" exhibition.