Justin Paris

A few years ago, my grandparents gave me an old plastic shopping bag that was full of old (100+ years) family letters, newspaper articles, and documents that they had kept in a basement closet for many years. This collection passed from my great-great-great-grandmother, Lavinda Nichols, on down through the generations to my grandfather. The most interesting and valuable part of the collection was an old family Bible (King James Version). It was printed in 1851 in Auburn or Rochester, New York, and it probably belonged to my great-great-great grandmother's parents or grandparents before she received it. The Bible was in terrible condition. In large part, it was still bound, but the binding was quite fragile and falling apart. The Bible had no cover. Additionally, several of the pages were either loose or missing. For many years, I dreamed of having it restored, but I thought that would be very difficult to do so. Earlier this year, I learned about Leonard's Book Restoration while searching online for antique book restorers. On the business's website, I looked at pictures of their previous work with Bibles and antique books. The work was of high quality, so I decided to give Leonard's a chance. I emailed pictures of the Bible, gave a description of the work I wanted done, and asked if a rebinding/restoration was even possible. I promptly received a response from the staff stating that the work could be done, complete with a cost and time estimate for the work, as well as instructions on how to ship the Bible and order form to the office. The repair work took about three months to complete. I received the rebound and restored Bible about two days ago, and it is beautiful! The Bible was rebound in a cover made of fine, sturdy leather. Any loose pages were re-attached in their proper places. The staff even went to the trouble of finding the missing pages of the book before rebinding it. What was once a loosely-bound collection of pages is now an aesthetically pleasing, and functional, Bible, which will be proudly displayed in my house. I can actually handle and read this Bible without fear of the book falling apart and crumbling to dust! Needless to say, my experience with Leonard's Book Restoration was positive! The staff was very helpful and attentive to my needs, and the quality of their work is top-notch. I recommend them to anyone who needs a Bible, or any other book, repaired!