The Bathtub Collection...Dorothy Schullian and some [not actually] dirty books

The National Library of Medicine is hosting an exhibition of its "Bathtub Collection"...a collection of material discovered when old bindings held by the library were conserved. The collection was started in the 1940s when the Library began a conservation program, retaining Dorothy Shullian as curator and Jean Eschman, a master binder. Eschman repaired many bindings, but replaced many, as well. Shullian was clever enough to save the boards:

Though she did not consider many of the intact bindings worth preserving, she was aware of the interest and value of the materials from which they were made. When the books were rebound in the bindery, instead of discarding the old covers, Dr. Schullian, took them home, soaked them in her bathtub to loosen the paste and separate the layers of paper or parchment, hung them up to dry, and placed them in envelopes, labeled with information about the volume from which they were removed. The History of Medicine Division staff came to refer to them as the "Bathtub Collection," both a tribute to Dr. Schullian's labors and a mark of affection for this eccentric assemblage.

They have many examples (like these and these) of the treasures found within the bindings. My wife does not seem pleased with the idea of soaking apart boards in the tub...