Shown here is part of the will of John Hawke of Garlinge in the parish of Petham, made 1604 and proved 1606 [ref. PRC/32/41] The scribe used an ink made from the tannic acid of oak galls; growths formed by the tree in reaction to hosting the eggs of gall wasps. Combining tannic acid with iron salts and a binder creates a dark ink which, today, appears purple/brown-black in colour. Many pre‑20th century manuscripts held by Kent Archives are written in this ink – favoured by European scribes for its permanence, water resistance and ease of manufacture. However, iron gall ink becomes acidic over time and can oxidise due to excess iron in the ink formulation, causing weakening of the substrate upon which it has been used. At first, diffused halos develop around written text, followed by the ink striking through the document, leaving a shadowy impression on the verso. Eventually, the ink etches into the substrate to such an extent that material loss occurs, often referred to as lacing.

I is for… #IronGallInk

Made from oak gall tannic acid and iron salts, this ink was favoured by European scribes for over 1400 years owing to its permanence and ease of manufacture. Over time it can deteriorate, causing a type of substrate loss known as lacing.

#KAconservationAtoZ

#FrolicPress #ManlyWadeWellman #WeirdFiction #FolkHorror #BookArts #IronGallInk #CompostArt #SoilEcology #Vermicomposting #SatorSquare #BookCoverArt #SmallPress #IndiePublishing #ProcessArt #TraditionalInk #Folklore #HorrorArt

Pyramid presents Iron Gall Ink and Quill Carving workshop for Hopkins Journeys: Celebrating the World of Jane Austen at the Baltimore Museum of Art. This workshop is being led by Bookbinding Associate Brittany Murray.

#irongallink #bookbinding #bookmaking #janeausten #pyramidatlantic

A close up of a marble gall from an oak tree with a perfect circle where the gall wasp chewed its way out

A perfect exit hole in a marble gall #everydaymiracles #irongallink

English oak tree laden with acorns and knopper galls

Close up of a knopper gall inbetween two acorns

Two knopper galls on an English oak tree

There’s lots of knopper galls out on the oak trees at the moment - where gall wasps have laid their eggs inside of developing acorns. These interesting shapes are good for making #irongallink, but they are very sticky!

The Unseen Scourge of Iron Gall Ink Corrosion on Historical Records "For 1,400 years, iron gall ink recorded history. Now, its inherent chemical instability is erasing it, posing a critical threat to our past."

The Ink That Wrote History Is Now Erasing It

#IronGallInk #InkCorrosion #Preservation #Conservation #USHistory #Archives #Manuscripts #FactRage #FactRageNews

tglm.us/vnuda

A handwritten recipe for iron gall ink written inside the back cover of a vellum bound book.

A recipe for iron gall ink. Written in the back of a commonplace book sometime between 1695-1720. #bookconservation #limpvellumbinding #conservationispy #irongallink

Working on birds. Still figuring it out, but here's a stab. #calligraphy #flourishing #birds #irongallink #nibs #oldthings

But what really caught my eye was the way the iron-gall ink had been so acidic that in many places it had burned right through the thick paper!
#ink #IronGallInk #manuscripts #RagPaper #corrosion