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The American Bookbinders Museum

The American Bookbinders Museum

The American Bookbinders Museum explores and celebrates the craft, culture, and tools of bookbinding.

Today is National Anita Day so we are celebrating our Anita!“The best part of my job is meeting so many talented people and having the opportunity to see so many amazing books.” Anita is the Executive Director of the American Bookbinders Museum and has been with us since September of 2017. In her time, she has introduced self-guided tours and videos, curated exhibits, overseen the addition of thousands of objects to our special collection, and implemented museum best practices and procedures. These actions have transformed the museum into what it is today. Support further transformation like this in our future through a donation to the American Bookbinders Museum. #Bookbindersmuseum #ABM #Bookbinding #AnitaDay ... See MoreSee Less
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Inlays are a subtractive element used in bookbinding to add dimension and intrigue to the cover of a book. This technique has been used to embed not only paper, leather, or cloth like we see most often today, but also luxurious materials like gemstones, ivory, and pearls.You can try this technique on your own case-bound book in Easy Inlays, the next workshop from the American Bookbinders Museum on June 14th. Spots for this workshop are limited so make sure you RSVP your spot today! This workshop is BYOI (bring your own inlay) bring a piece of fabric or paper you want to add to a cover design. Spots for workshops are limited, so make sure you grab your spot today!#workshop #inlay #casebinding #2ndSaturday #bookbinding ... See MoreSee Less
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Today is the LAST DAY to stop by and see Chapter 10! Experience 10 years of special exhibitions from the American Bookbinders Museum. Look into the history of cookbooks, celebrate women gaining the right to vote, and learn how book conservation got its start. There is a lot to see in this reflective exhibition. #exhibition #lastday #bookbinding #Chapter10 #booklover📚 ... See MoreSee Less
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Opening next Saturday, The Hand Bookbinders of California’s 53rd Members Annual Exhibition. This year, the exhibition features: Books bound using a section of the Pride flag from San Francisco's historic Castro districtSet book: Grimoire – New Scottish Folk TalesSet book: A Clockwork Diorama, a love story told in three-line versesRecent work by members. Join the artists in a reception on June 7th to view the exhibition and enjoy light refreshments. Learn more about some of the books bound with the Pride flag in: Bound with PRIDE, a panel discussion and virtual webinar on June 21st. Love the books and want to see some of them up close and personal? Join us in person for Between the Covers on August 23rd. #Exhibition #Bookbinding #HBC #Bookbindersmuseum #FreeSF #webinar #Pride #LGBT #BetweentheCovers ... See MoreSee Less
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Invented in 1986 by Anne Goy, the Secret Belgian Binding., Also known as the Criss Cross Binding, it has a unique exposed binding structure with the ability of the cover to be folded beneath the textblock. This structure has three parts: two covers and one spine piece, which is sewn around. Have you ever created this binding? #crisscross #secretbelgian #bookbinding #FridayFact #annegoy #belgian ... See MoreSee Less
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Diary with Rhinestones (3)
Diary with Rhinestones (3)

Technique: made with parchment paper. Exposed seam with Murano glass and silver. 8 x 12 cm   2005

Egg (4)
Egg (4)

Project that combines poetry with flexible expression on an eggshell as a support.  2019

Egg (3)
Egg (3)

Project that combines poetry with flexible expression on an eggshell as a support.  2019

Egg (2)
Egg (2)

Project that combines poetry with flexible expression on an eggshell as a support.  2019

Egg (1)
Egg (1)

Project that combines poetry with flexible expression on an eggshell as a support.  2019

Paper Huipil
Paper Huipil

Huipil of Paper ““Of Matter.” Technique: Rebozos and huipil woven with thread and paper, which are conceived as poetic writing supports. It is a confluence between textile art and bookbinding. Made on a four-frame floor loom. Natural cotton an [...]

Paper Rebozos (2)
Paper Rebozos (2)

Rebozos of Paper ““Of Matter” (2). Technique: Rebozos and huipil woven with thread and paper, which are conceived as poetic writing supports. It is a confluence between textile art and bookbinding. Made on a four-frame floor loom. Natural cott [...]

Paper Rebozos, “Of Matter” (1)
Paper Rebozos, “Of Matter” (1)

Rebozos of Paper ““Of Matter” (1). Technique: Rebozos and huipil woven with thread and paper, which are conceived as poetic writing supports. It is a confluence between textile art and bookbinding. Made on a four-frame floor loom. Natural cott [...]

The Poetic Egg
The Poetic Egg

Project that combines poetry with flexible expression on an eggshell as a support.  2019

The Beetle
The Beetle

The Beetle. One of four textile pieces made with cotton thread on cardboard and glue, with the technique of “The thread of life”. The signature thread has been dyed with blood. 42.5 x 40 cm, 2014.

The Scorpion
The Scorpion

One of four textile pieces made with cotton thread on cardboard and glue, with the technique of “The thread of life”. The signature thread has been dyed with blood.43 x 34 c  2020

The Moon
The Moon

One of four textile pieces made with cotton thread on cardboard and glue, with the technique of “The thread of life”. The signature thread has been dyed with blood. 38.5 x 48 cm  2013

The Spider
The Spider

The Spider, One of four textile pieces made with cotton thread on cardboard and glue, with the technique of “The thread of life”. The signature thread has been dyed with blood. 45 x 43.5 cm, 2019.

L’étranger (The Stranger 2)
L’étranger (The Stranger 2)

L’étranger (The Stranger, original French edition), by Albert Camus. Prepared for the International Competition of the 15th World Biennial of Art Binding, held in Paris, France, in 2019. Bound in paper and thread. The cover has been painted wi [...]

L’étranger (The Stranger 1)
L’étranger (The Stranger 1)

L’étranger (The Stranger, original French edition), by Albert Camus. Prepared for the International Competition of the 15th World Art Bookbinding Biennial, held in Paris, France, in 2019. Technique: cloth binding, hemp thread and amate paper. [...]

Le Lion (The Lion)
Le Lion (The Lion)

Le lion (The Lion, original French edition), by Joseph Kessel Prepared for the International Competition of the 16th World Art Bookbinding Biennial, held in Paris, France, in 2022. The design of the bookbinding refers to the mystery of the Afr [...]

L’art d’être Grand-Père
L’art d’être Grand-Père

L’art d’être grand-père (The Art of Being a Grandfather, original French edition), by Victor Hugo Prepared for the International Competition of the 14th World Biennial of Art Bookbinding, held in Paris, France, in 2017. Technique: the cover of [...]

Pedro Páramo
Pedro Páramo

Pedro Páramo, by Juan Rulfo Prepared for the exhibition “Pliegues de la Memoria” presented at the “Juan Rulfo” Bookstore, of the Fondo de Cultura Económica, in Madrid, Spain, in May and June 2018. Technique: the construction of the shawl, that [...]

Vendredi ou la Vie Sauvage
Vendredi ou la Vie Sauvage

Vendredi ou la vie sauvage (Friday or the Wild Life, original French edition), by Michel Tournier Prepared for the International Competition of the 13th World Art Bookbinding Biennial, held in Paris, France, in 2015. Technique: bound in “chagr [...]

The Tin Drum
The Tin Drum

The Tin Drum by Günter Grass. Technique: bound in “shagreen” goatskin. Edges painted with acrylic. Two stainless steel plates have been embedded in the cover flaps and the cover of the original edition has been used on the front cover. The des [...]

Selma
Selma

Selma by Jutta Bauer Technique: “felting”, made by the textile designer Mariel Andrea Tapia Luna. Bound in handmade cloth, felted with carded, dyed and raw wool, 100% Mexican. Sewn with cotton thread. Edges carved and stained with acrylic. 11. [...]

The Clown
The Clown

Opinions of a Clown, by Heinrich BöllTechnique: bound in goatskin (morocco), with an embossed leather flap on the spine. Hand-painted endpapers and edges painted with acrylic. Cardboard lids with holes allude to a Gothic temple with its staine [...]

The Metamorphosis
The Metamorphosis

The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka Technique: bound in “shagreen” goatskin. Three superimposed and sculpted skins. Sewn with cotton thread and scartivanas on the spine. Carved edges. The image alludes to the transformation of man into an insect [...]

Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Thus Spoke Zarathustra, by Friedrich Nietzsche Technique: bound in “shagreen” goatskin. With gold titles and cotton thread details on the covers. Edges carved and stained with acrylic.18.5 x 12 cm 2015

The Magic Mountain
The Magic Mountain

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann Technique: bound in “shagreen” goatskin. Edges carved and painted with acrylic. Marble dust and oil. Details in different materials.The image alludes to what can, among many other things, be found on the mount [...]

Les Fables (Fables)
Les Fables (Fables)

Original French edition by Jean de la Fontaine. Prepared for the International Competition from the 11th World Art Bookbinding Biennial, held in Paris, France, in 2011. Technique: bound in “shagreen” goatskin, with a classic structure. On the [...]

L’aiguille Creuse (The Hollow Needle)
L’aiguille Creuse (The Hollow Needle)

L’aiguille creuse (The Hollow Needle, original French edition), by Maurice Leblanc Prepared for the International Competition of the 12th World Art Bookbinding Biennial, held in Paris, France, in 2013. Technique: bound in cloth and hemp thread [...]

María
María

María, by Jorge Isaacs Technique: bound in sheepskin leather with box. 21 x 15.5 cm 2016

USB Carrying Case
USB Carrying Case

USB Carrying Case, Technique: fabric and paper 3.5 x 8 cm 2018

Le Mariage de Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)
Le Mariage de Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)

The Mariage of Figaro, edición original en francés, de Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais   Prepared for the International Competition of the 10th World Art Bookbinding Biennial, held in Paris, France, 2009. The book presents the two theater masks a [...]

Japanese Binding (3)
Japanese Binding (3)

Japanese Binding (3), Three exercises in traditional Japanese bookbinding carried out in the workshop of Mtra. Eiko Nakao, in the City of Osaka, Japan. 16 x 21 cm., 15.5 x 20.5 cm and 16 x 16 cm 2010

Japanese Binding (2)
Japanese Binding (2)

Japanese Binding (2), Three exercises in traditional Japanese bookbinding carried out in the workshop of Mtra. Eiko Nakao, in the City of Osaka, Japan. 16 x 21 cm., 15.5 x 20.5 cm and 16 x 16 cm 2010

Japanese Binding (1)
Japanese Binding (1)

Japanese Binding (1), Three exercises in traditional Japanese bookbinding carried out in the workshop of Mtra. Eiko Nakao, in the City of Osaka, Japan. 16 x 21 cm., 15.5 x 20.5 cm and 16 x 16 cm 2010

Erotic Block
Erotic Block

Erotic Block,Block for intimate use with personal data sheets, envelope for condoms, birth control pills and security spring. Interior details alluding to the user according to gender. Cover drawing by Elisa Luna. 12 x 8.5 cm 2002

The Nest
The Nest

Diary, Technique: bound in leather spine and amate paper, with detail made with skin shavings. 23.5 x 18 cm, 2007.

Censorship Diary
Censorship Diary

Technique: bound in full leather, sheep, with detail in cotton thread. 17.5 x 11.5 cm, 2006.

Mexican Prehistoric Codices
Mexican Prehistoric Codices

Cases made for facsimile and explanatory book of the Codices published by the Fondo de Cultura Económica. 15,000 copies made by hand. Technique: made with jute cloth and amate paper. 29 cm x 30.5 cm, 31 x 30.5cm, 1990 - 1996.

Chip Notepad
Chip Notepad

Technique: shaving with cloth. 6x.5 cm, 2010.

Alpha and Omega
Alpha and Omega

Technique: made of goatskin (morocco) and embossed. The image alludes to the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet, which symbolizes the beginning and the end of all things in ancient medieval tradition. 17.5 x 12.5 cm  1996

Case for Engravings
Case for Engravings

Technique: Notebook and explanatory book, joined together, with box. Made in Italian fabric. 24 x 17.5 cm   2004

Diary with Rhinestones (2)
Diary with Rhinestones (2)

Technique: made with parchment paper. Exposed seam with Murano glass and silver. 8 x 12 cm  2005

Diary with Rhinestones (1)
Diary with Rhinestones (1)

Technique: made with parchment paper. Exposed seam with Murano glass and silver. 8 x 12 cm  2005

Encounter
Encounter

Technique: Two newspapers linked together with exposed seam and details of Swarovski crystal. 24 x 18 cm  2006

Zara
Zara

Diary. Technique: goatskin (moroccan) with embossed details, irregularly shaped. Record with metal thread, and French guards. 23.5 x 16.5 cm  1993

Joined
Joined

Technique: French seam, exposed. Two newspapers linked together. 23.5 x 17.5 cm  2006

Mariel Binding Package
Mariel Binding Package

Prepared for the course-workshop of Introduction to Bookbinding, for children. 26 x 17.5 cm  2002

Keychain Notebooks
Keychain Notebooks

Technique: Miniature binding on paper. 6 x 5 cm  2014

Prehistoric Portablock
Prehistoric Portablock

Technique: Made of cloth and amate paper with a pre-Hispanic symbol. 24 x 16cm  2007

Prehispanic Notebook (4)
Prehispanic Notebook (4)

Technique: Bound in jutecloth, symbol in amate paper. 17.5 x 12cm  1997

Prehispanic Notebook (3)
Prehispanic Notebook (3)

Technique: Bound in amate paper. 17.7 x 24 cm  2005

Prehispanic Notebook (2)
Prehispanic Notebook (2)

Technique: Bound in amate paper. 8 x 5 cm  2005

Prehispanic Notebook (1)
Prehispanic Notebook (1)

Technique: marbled sheepskin leather and Ingres Fabriano paper, bound in the Spanish style and hand-painted endpapers. 26 x 17.5 cm  2002

Emergency Diary: Letters to Go
Emergency Diary: Letters to Go

Technique: made in Spanish marbled leather. 17 x 2.5  cm 2002

Ángel and Aurora
Ángel and Aurora

Diary Technique: parchment with carved edges and exposed seam. 18 x 10 cm  2001  

Fan Notebook
Fan Notebook

Technique: made of cotton fabric and Ingres Fabriano cardboard. 16.5 x 3.2 cm (closed)  2002

Ángel
Ángel

Diary Technique: leather spine, embossed, and hand-painted paper. 12 x 8.5 cm  2000

Beatriz
Beatriz

Diary Technique: Pigskin with sheepskin mosaic and embossing; the edges are carved and painted, hand-painted guards and metal register. 18x12  cm  2002.

Inés
Inés

Journal. Technique: Made with cotton thread and inlaid beads.16x10 cm  2004

Elisa
Elisa

Elisa. Journal made with red and black suede, carved edges and details that come from the seam, French endpapers and separator with suede details. Year 2002. Dimensions 19x12.5 cm.

Alejandro
Alejandro

Alejandro. Portablock with thread detail on the cover. Year 2006. Dimensions 12x8.5cm.  

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