In this video, watch as Bounty Archive gives a facelift to a 50 year-old book, trading its blown-out paper binding for an elegant hardcover with custom gold-foiling.

There are a lot of old books in the world (more than 150,000,000 by rough estimate). Most are certified dusty doorstops, doomed to rot on library shelves. Some however, are unsuspecting triple-A knowledge portals which can teleport you to the past, leaving you feeling enriched.

If you get your hands on one of these, you better treat it right.

Everything breaks down over time (science). Even the collections of printed and glued pages we call books. When they do, they release devious volatile compounds which we can sample through our noses. Like a fine wine or cheese, books give off musty, sometimes sweet notes as they age.

The book featured in this video is Living the Good Life: How to Live Sanely and Simply in a Troubled World. Equal parts autobiographical and instructional, it is the story of Helen & Scott Nearing, who moved from New York City to Vermont following the Great Depression. Their approach to homesteading and organic farming (and their socialist tendencies) puzzled locals and provided for a prosperous life amongst the mountains.

If you have any questions about this article, materials, bookbinding, or otherwise, contact Bounty Archive Management, or leave a comment.