The Vespiary Book Binding & Book Conservation

I love the conservation work I do with books, but sometimes I am tempted by other glamorous conservation fields. Recently, I came across this guy, Tom Spina, who does movie prop conservation work. How cool would it be to work on old latex costumes from movies like The Dark Crystal, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings? Answer: very cool.  Visit his website where you’ll find some of your beloved cinema creepies, ravaged by time and lovingly restored to their former, er… grotesquery. (Also, he makes movie themed furniture, i.e. an office desk with carbonite-embedded Han Solo).

While Tom seems to focus on the sci-fi and horror end of things, Mark Hughes is into historical and period pieces.  It looks like he’s mainly a props master (for some big films, too!), but his bio says he’s done conservation and restoration work for several museums and historical preservation groups.

And lastly, Hollywood’s style and flash are often neatly summed up in the lobby cards printed for each film.  These folks in Connecticut at Poster Conservation offer services to ensure that the glamour doesn’t fade like so many Norma Desmonds.