Tool maker’s search for apprentices

In Japan, the last craftsman of delicate scissors, nigri basami, searches for an apprentice.

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The Bindings of To-morrow

The Guild of Women Binders and The Bindings of To-morrow In an age largely given over to utilitarianism it is gratifying to find purposes and persons at variance with the conditions around them, and in no field is the discovery more productive of satisfaction that that of industry.[1]

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Linotype

Linotype fans and mid-20th century-printing nerds should enjoy this video featuring the country’s last Linotype newspaper operation in Saguache, Colorado.

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DIY Invisible Ink Printer

Well, here you go, hack your printer to print your own secret messages…

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Invisible Ink

I’ll confess as a kid I loved espionage: clandestine conversations, dark alley meetings, secret passageways. If it involved a high-level adventure… with a low-level of forgery… with maybe a secret handshake, I was in; and truth be told I still might be.  Growing up pre-mobile phones and computers, note passing

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Oh the Pressure….

Books printed with disappearing ink was trialed by an independent publisher in Argentina. The idea: new authors shouldn’t wait for their book to be read, they need to be discovered quickly so they could get their next book out.  Books printed with this special ink were wrapped in an airtight

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Huttner Library Donation

The American Bookbinders Museum recently received a generous library donation from Sidney F. Huttner a bookbinder and librarian.  ABM Librarian, Amelia Grounds, interviewed Sid to find out a bit more.

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Ink Making!

A few weeks ago we had a pilot ink making tutorial here at the Museum.  Here are some images and explanations of the process, which resulted in use-able ink!  It all started with a few Oak Galls (the primary ingredient in Iron Gall Ink). Oak galls form when the Gall

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Ink In Their Blood: Print Apprentices Make Good

“James Franklin, printer, in Queen’s Street, wants a likely lad for an apprentice.”[1] The life of a printer’s apprentice or “devil” was no picnic. It usually involved long hours of arduous labor for little or no pay with only small hope of advancement. Apprenticeship – until at least the middle

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Book news

As Scotland heads to the polls this week to vote on independence from the United Kingdom, an antiquarian bookseller has drawn attention to the 18th century debate regarding the union of Scotland and England: expressed here in a book of poetry in support of the union.  Equally of interest is

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