Antique camera leather

[Unicum]

Hello, I have an antique camera made around 1897. It has a mahogany body that is wrapped in leather. I wish to re-secure a piece covering the bottom of the body that has partially separated. I have some photos showing this. The photos show the wooden camera body which is covered in leather. Most cameras of this time period used shellac to glue the leather to the body. As it can be seen the leather is thin and dried out. I plan to use shellac to re-glue the piece back in but feel that to do the best job  the section should be removed in order to fully clean all the old glue before re-attaching it. I have read rubbing alcohol works well to break down the old shellac. Due to its age, being dried out and not knowing when or if this leather has ever been treated in the past I am guessing that it would be better to not only clean it first but also to try and rejuvenate it to hopefully restore some flexibility. This is why I am here. Searching the web turns up countless leather treatment products. I only have one go at this to get it right and not to make things worse so will only do this if I feel confident that the products and methods are the best for this situation. I also realize that this is a very old piece of leather and do not expect it to be like new. I just want to put it back best I can and preserve the look. I think it gives the camera more character when it shows its age. Thank you!

[DieselTech]

I would not remove it. I don't think you would ever save it trying to remove it. 

I myself would just re-glue it the way it is. 

[Northmount]

Some glues can be reactivated by applying some heat with either an iron or a heat gun.  Since you are dealing with leather, be cautious of too much heat as the leather may shrivel.

An old glue that was in common use is hide glue.  Whether used for cameras or not is a good question.

Super glue (cyanoacrylate) is available in various viscosities.  The thinnest would be a good choice.  It isn't flexible when it sets so be careful where you use it.

You might want to check to see how fixing it affects the value of the camera if you have any concerns about that.

 

[fredk]

True shellac, when dried, after applying goes sticky like molasses when heated. It doesn't become a glue again

I would not remove the leather and use PVA white glue to stick it down

[dikman]

One thing I would not do is try and remove the leather. Given its age and how thin it is it's likely to be very brittle and will probably tear. As for glues, you could try shellac again or perhaps a very thin layer of contact cement (maybe the water-based type if you're concerned about solvents).

[Unicum]

Thank you all for the information. I will leave the piece attached and re-glue the loose part. As for leather treatment should I leave it or is there something I could apply to it?

[fredk]

Nothing to strong or used vigorously. I would try some 'saddle soap' or mild dish washing soap in luke warm water, just to clean it a little

I use to have a collection of antique cameras. The oldest was from about 1880 and the youngest were mostly 1930s. 40s & 50s. The bellows were the main problem and I often had to replace them 

Until they were all stolen

[Unicum]

I will try some mild soap, (on a small area first). Thank you. And so sorry to hear your cameras were stolen. 

[AlZilla]

This question got me poking around the net (as you no doubt did) and I came across a page recommending "one of Aileen’s tacky craft glues" to reglue the leather down.  No clue what it is, but it may bear investigation.

Here's the page, in all it's splendor:

https://throughavintagelens.com/2010/04/restoring-vintage-cameras-iii-techniques/

I was really expecting to find that recovering the cameras would be the preferred method, but apparently not. I can understand wanting originality as a collector but if a suitable leather could be found, I don't think replacing it would be too hard. 

EDIT: And here's a PDF from Kodak that says mild soap and then white glue to reattach the leather.

restoration_inst.pdf

Edited September 15 by AlZilla
add pdf

[Unicum]

Thank you. I have been to Aileen’s site and have it bookmarked and have now saved the PDF file from Kodak.  I do like the aged look of the camera. A camera, like a vintage car, can be restored over and over again but it’s only original once. Its condition tells a story. It has passed through the last 125+years and likely more than a few owners or maybe just a handful and has now made its way to me.  What photos it took, where it has been and who owned it will forever be a mystery but its journey has left its physical marks on it. This, I believe, should be preserved.