Pioneering in the Preservation and Restoration of Medieval Manuscripts and Early Printed Books in the Netherlands The Work of Sister Lucie M. Gimbrere O.S.B.

From 1963 to 1996 Sister Lucie M. Gimbrere restored 446 books in the Onze Lieve Vrouwe abbey in Oosterhout, for various clients. Most of these books were very valuable manuscripts, incunabula and post-incunabula. Indeed, some of the absolute gems among the books in Dutch collections passed through her hands. Sister Lucie always adhered to the same principles: following the French binding tradition and working in the footsteps of the medieval bookbinder. She was guided by the book itself, academic literature and her commissioners, and not significantly by the code of ethics for restorers. Furthermore, she kept well away from chemical experiments and modern techniques. Precisely this approach made her business a success. Because of her concern for history, the attention she gave to the smallest archaeological leads and her practice of careful documentation, Sister Lucie emerged as an important pioneer in the history of medieval book restoration in the Netherlands.