The Journeyman Bookbinder
Just a Journeyman Binder of Books Working from town to town A craftsman old, of an ancient guild With graying hair and wrinkled frown. He binds the books in leather and cloth, Tools them in letters of gold Some printed thoughts that come to naught, Others of priceless mould.
Happy New Year
Just a reminder: ABM will be closed in celebration of the New Year on Tuesday, January 2. We will be open on January 3, and look forward to meeting you then. Our best wishes to the Book community for a safe, healthy, and book-filled 2018.
Celebrating Local Binders
This winter the Museum Shop at the American Bookbinders Museum is pleased to showcase the work of two extraordinary book artisans. Pietro Accardi was born in Turin, in northwestern Italy, where his father, Gaetano, was the founder of Typografia Accardi. After working at his father’s press, Accardi went on to
Litquake at ABM
Saturday, October 7 through Saturday, October 14 This year the American Bookbinders Museum hosts eight days and evenings of Litquake events, from panel discussions for new writers and kid-friendly events to featured authors and readers. See the Litquake site for a full listing of events, both at ABM
ABM is Open!
The city is doing construction on Clementina Street, but don’t be daunted: sidewalks are still open, and so is the Bookbinders Museum. Come visit!
Hunting the elusive bookbinder
That’s All She Wrote In 1941 Hannah Dustin French of the Wellesley College Library published an essay entitled “Early American Bookbinding by Hand.” In the essay, she makes mention of American’s first bookbinder: Bookbinding was one of the very early crafts to be practiced in this country, but where the
Library Binding for Preservation
You know about library books, of course, but how much do you know about “library binding” – a formal bookbinding practice with standards and guidelines that has been around since 1923?
Care and Repairs for Standard Hardcovers
Many of us have personal libraries, and within those libraries the chance that we own a standard hardcover book is high. Modern case bindings (also known as hardcovers) are everywhere. These bindings are constructed from paper boards covered by a sturdy cloth or decorated paper, and the cover is generally
Preservation Week 2017
Preservation Week is here again! This weeklong celebration of preservation and conservation activities in libraries, archives, and museums is the brainchild of ALCTS, the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, a branch of the American Library Association. Later this week we’ll be sharing two guest blog posts on the
The 18th Century, Thomas Jefferson and Book Binding
“I am not so regular in my sleep as the Doctor (Rush) says he was, devoting to it from five to eight hours, according as my company or the book I am reading interests me; and I never go to bed without an hour or half an hour’s previous reading