Presents the proceedings of the first conference held by the UK Leather Conservation Centre in August 1986 at Nere College, Northampton, England. The papers provide a comprehensive scientific background on the structures, properties and preparation of leather as well as some insight into the forms of deterioration which leathers undergo. Includes skin structure and leather properties; the structure of collagen; the principles of tanning; leather processing from the mediaeval to the present time; vegetable tanning; mineral, alum, aldehyde and oil tannage; lubricants; surface coatings and finishes; ageing of vegetable tanned leather in response to various climatic conditions; taxidermy treatments and their effect upon tensile properties of skin; some aspects of the photochemistry of fibrous protein; natural ageing of leather in libraries; acidic deterioration of vegetable tanned leather; and deterioration under accelerated acidic ageing conditions.