Of all the artful approaches to the book, the art of the book conservator is particularly obscure. It is an enclave art with a peculiar finesse for the handle and appearance of historical craft work and a stylistic sensitivity to cultures and book environments across time. To add to its strangeness, the creativity of this art is suppressed by prescribed treatment practice and, contrary to artistic convention, the practice promotes its own invisibility and anonymity. Finally, it is probable that this strange art is crucial to the treatment outcome while it secretly inspires the book conservator.