Conservators from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Nicolaus Copernicus University (UMK) in Toruń have examined and determined the condition of the first edition of the work ‘De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium’ stored in the library of the University of St Thomas in the Philippines. 

The Polish astronomer’s most important work appeared in print in 1543, with around 500 printed copies at the time. Four or five of these reached the Philippines. The copy examined by conservators from Toruń is not in the best condition. To restore it, conservators are considering two routes. 

The first assumes full disassembly and transport of the work to Poland, while the second preserves the book in situ – in a block. In this situation, all the necessary procedures are carried out page by page, without first unsealing them. However, this method is more complicated, time-consuming and, in tropical conditions, would have to be carried out carefully to avoid the dangers of microbiological attack.

Read more: https://portal.umk.pl/pl/article/kopernik-na-krancu-swiata