Search, study, labs, and community are crucial areas that need to be a part of any book arts career path. After years in the academic environment, post-graduate study and practice can take some getting used to. In my practice, with my academic background in history and public history, I have some training in preservation and conservation, but little academic lab work, and it’s been decades since I spent any quality time bookbinding; filling the lab gap is a big concern. For me, the best course of action is to develop a graduate-level book history course with labs focused on a traditional bookbinder’s apprenticeship path. This should provide a portfolio of objects to demonstrate skill as well as a collection of essays on the history of bookbinding forms.
The lab work has already begun with a print and binding project centered on the book “The Art of Bookbinding” (1890) by Joseph W. Zaehnsdorf. The text was printed in quarto on quality matte 13 in. x 19 in. (A3+) and works out to a traditional octavo 6 in. x 9 in. book. The block has been printed and sewn. Endpapers were designed and printed, and the boards glued to the fabric cover. The binding will be a cased flat back. A post about this project will be forthcoming. Progress photos have been taken for the project post.
It will take some time to develop and document the curriculum, as it is being put together on the fly and there is already a pile of rebinding and conservation projects to incorporate into the course workflow as well. I would prefer not to slow too much in the service of academic development and kill the momentum I have. The reading list is as follows, in order:
- Abbott, Kathy. Bookbinding: A Step By Step Guide. The Crowood Press, 2010.
- Hollander, Tom and Cindy. Introduction to Bookbinding and Custom Cases. Schiffer Publishing, 2019.
- Johnson, Arthur W. The Thames and Hudson Manual of Bookbinding. Thames & Huson, 1981.
- Towne, Laurence. Bookbinding By Hand For Students and Craftsmen. Faber and Faber, 1963.
- Masson, John. The Art and Practice of Printing: Bookbinding and Ruling. Vol. 5. New Era Publishing, 1940.
- Diehl, Edith. Bookbinding. Dover Publications, 1980.
- Cockerell, Douglas. Bookbinding and the Care of Books. Lyons & Burford, 1991.
- Middleton, Bernard C. The Restoration of Leather Bindings. American Library Association, 1972.
- Szirmai, J.A. The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding. Routledge, 2017.
- Keile, Headdy. The Art of the Fold: How to Make Innovative Books and Paper Structures. Laurence King Publishing, 2018.
- Lindsay, Jen. Fine Binding: A Technical Guide. Oak Knoll Books, 2024.
- Burdett, Eric. The Craft of Bookbinding: A Practical Handbook. David and Charles, Newton Abbot, 1978.
As reading and lab work progress through the first few textbooks, a project list should develop. Along with the skill development projects, rebinding projects on the bench will also be incorporated into the lab work. Research paper topics should also present themselves and be incorporated into the program. Along with research and lab work, I will be engaging more with the book community through social media (BlueSky & Mastodon) and here. As article possibilities present, I will also submit to field journals. In all honesty, the community aspect is the most difficult for me. My graduate programs were in the online environment, and my academic/social circles are small. More to come as things progress.