Concepts of Care in Preserving the Sally Account Book

By any measure, the account book of the slave ship Sally is an ugly object. It is exemplary of the transactional violence of slavery, erasing the humanity of those subjected to its horrors. And it is in poor physical condition, with a broken binding, missing parts, and severe pest damage. Much of this disrepair likely occurred during the storage of the Brown family business records in the nineteenth century.

The central aim of conservation in libraries is to increase responsible access to collections and their information. Whether a conservator is repairing a damaged book, reviewing materials before digitization, monitoring storage conditions, or providing handling recommendations, the goal is to support better and more meaningful access for current and future users. What should access look like for an item like the Sally account book?

To repair a historical object is to alter it, and consequently to alter the user’s experience; conservation professionals use the term “interventive treatment” to describe this type of work. This is a decision we take seriously and make in conjunction with curators, librarians, and community members. In the case of the Sally account book, multiple staff conversations were held to contemplate various treatment options and their possible effects on access and experience. These sessions concluded with the decision to refrain from intervening on the book, save for minor paper-tear repairs where text was at risk.

The words on the pages of the account book are not the only information the object contains. The physical book itself—the full life it has lived and its consequential condition—provides a message for those who interact with it. It bears a testimonial deterioration that attests to a history of prolonged neglect. We consider this an essential feature of the book’s evidentiary, anamnestic value, and to repair it would risk erasure or sanitization.

The book is currently stabilized, properly stored, and well protected. It has been digitized for accessibility, and the item itself is only handled when deemed necessary. Its state of disrepair signifies the care and intentionality required to access its trauma-made contents. We consider this continuum of care to be community-centered and central to the JCB’s mission; with this in mind, we hope to provide the most meaningful and responsible access possible to the Brown community and researchers beyond.

Text by Roger S. Williams, Head of Libraries Conservation