The Leather Conservation Centre

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The Leather Conservation Centre

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An internationally renowned organisation offering a comprehensive leather conservation service.

The Leather Conservation Centre was established in 1978 and is an internationally renowned organisation offering a comprehensive service in the conservation and restoration of objects (including books and other archival materials) of historic, cultural and artistic importance made wholly or partly of leather or its related materials. Clients include museums, libraries, historic houses and many more. The Leather Conservation Centre also supplies a small range of materials for leather conservation and leather conservation publications.If you have any questions or would like a quotation for conservation work, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

02/11/2026

We are taking part in Day on Wednesday 4th November! Ask us anything about conservation and our studio work, from how we decide what treatment an object needs to the tools and materials we use. Reply to this post or tag us, and use the hashtag.

31/10/2026

Following treatment, soft supports were created for vulnerable cavities within the structure of the bag to reduce stress on weakened areas during storage and handling. Recommendations were also provided to help ensure long term preservation: maintaining stable humidity and temperature, avoiding direct sunlight and heat, and avoiding application of commercial leather dressing as this object will not be used by the owner.

Leather is an incredibly durable material when properly cared for, however inappropriate application of fats and oils can often accelerate damage rather than prevent it.

This bag has carried over a century of history already. With careful management, it can now continue safely into the next.

30/10/2026

Join us for a family-friendly bookmaking session where parents, carers, and children will work side by side to create a handmade book from scratch.

In this workshop, you will learn how to make a book together using traditional bookbinding techniques - fun, messy paper decoration for children and basic bradel binding for grown ups, coming together to create a one-of-a-kind notebook to keep memories in!

This workshop is all about shared making, imagination, and time spent together. Whether your book becomes a sketchbook, a storybook, or a place to collect memories, it’s a gentle introduction to bookbinding through play and creativity.

No prior experience needed, just curiosity and a love of books. Designed for adults and children to take part together. All ages are welcome, but please be aware that for the grown-up part of the workshop, there will be sharp equipment (needles for sewing) during the event.

Available to book now via our link in bio
Course Leader: Rosie Bolton
Location: LCC Studio
Dates: Sunday 28th February
Time: 10:00 - 13:00
Cost: £50 (1 Adult + 1 Child), £25 per additional Adult/Child

30/10/2026

Do you have old leather working tools that need a new home?

We are building a tool library, so that our traditional leather working tools can be used by makers, students and learners. To help us grow the collection, we are looking for donations of tools from all the traditional leather working disciplines, including shoemaking, bookbinding and tanning.

If you have tools you think could be put to good use, please get in touch at [email protected].

26/10/2026

The area that needed the most intervention on this object was the extensive splitting and loss across the crocodile leather, particularly around areas subjected to stress during use.

Areas of loss were stabilised using toned Japanese tissue, colour matched to the surrounding leather. In larger areas of damage, the tissue was laminated with Remay, a lightweight non-woven support material, to provide additional strength while maintaining flexibility. Different adhesive systems were selected depending on the needs of each repair. Lascaux acrylic dispersion adhesive was used where greater flexibility is needed and longer working times and sustained pressure were possible, while BEVA film was heat activated in areas requiring faster adhesion or where clamping was impractical.

Finally, all repaired areas were visually integrated using acrylic paints and a light application of SC7400 surface finish on the repair materials, creating a protective layer and a leather like sheen to reducing the visual disruption of the repairs.

The aim of this treatment was to ensure that its history could survive safely into the future.

23/10/2026

Open Studios (Studio Tour)

February 25th November | 14:00-15:00

Curious about what happens inside a conservation studio? Join us for our monthly Open Studios, held on the last Thursday of every month. These free guided tours offer a behind-the-scenes look at the Leather Conservation Centre's studio, handling collection, and some current projects.

Led by members of our specialist team, the tours explore the history behind traditional leathercraft techniques, and preventive conservation practice, situating historic craft knowledge within contemporary contexts.

These tours provide an opportunity to learn more about how leather and skin materials are conserved, understood, and interpreted, with time for questions and discussion throughout.

Limited to 8 places per session
What3words: ///dish.drama.mugs
Free to book now via our link in bio

22/10/2026

Sewing is an important part of many traditional book structures, helping to hold the pages together and form the foundation of a finished book. At Bookbinding Club, you can get hands-on with techniques like these while developing their skills and learning more about the craft.

Before the books start to take shape, there are threads to prepare, materials to organise and sewing structures to get ready. This club allows us to share the skills and processes behind traditional bookbinding, from the first stitches to the finished book.

22/10/2026

Before any structural repairs could begin, the object first needed to be cleaned.

The interior pocket contained active mould growth, visible as a white fluffy deposit across the lining surface. Mould on leather objects is not only damaging to the material itself, but it also presents risks to human health and other objects in our studio. As soon as the mould was identified the bag was isolated until it could be cleaned. The affected areas were dry cleaned using a soft brush and low powered vacuum to remove the active spores. The bag was monitored for any signs of mould growth throughout its time in the studio.

The exterior surfaces were then gently cleaned overall to remove loose dust and accumulated deposits. On the metal hardware, waxy accretions, tarnish, and corrosion products were reduced through mechanical cleaning and light solvent cleaning with white spirit and cotton wool swab. Finally, a thin layer of Renaissance wax was applied to the metal components to provide protection against further corrosion.

Cleaning in conservation is usually the first step in a treatment and not just for cosmetic purposes. Removing ingrained soiling, dust, harmful deposits and unstable materials can reduce deterioration of the substrate materials.

20/10/2026

Did you know that we are a charity? Our core charitable aim is to preserve our global leather heritage, much of which is now endangered.

As a centre for conservation, we take a holistic approach to this, preserving not only historic objects but also the intangible aspects and craft skills which produced them.

We are generously supported by funding from the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Saddler’s Company, which have allowed us to move to our new studio and focus on building our educational programme and find new ways to share our resources and expertise.

Individual donations are always welcome and help to support our research programme and reach more people. We are also keen on working with industry partners to support the preservation of our leather heritage.

15/10/2026

Red rot deterioration is one of the most devastating degradation processes that occurs to particular types of leather. This webinar will cover what exactly red rot is, what the catalysts are and what methods conservators have at their disposal to manage it.

No prior experience of red rot or leather conservation is necessary. This webinar would be useful not just to conservators but anybody working with historic leather objects or archivists/heritage professionals who would like to gain a deeper understanding of red rot.

Available to book now via our link in bio
Course Leader: Rosie Bolton
Location: Online
Date: Thurs 11th February 2027
Time: 13:00-15:00
Cost: £5 Per Person

Address

The Leather Conservation Centre, Canopy
Northampton
LE16WB

Telephone

01604719766

Website

http://www.leatherconservation.org/

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