German Bookbinders Song of 1842
Who can be more contented, With life as ‘tis presented To us who bind the books? Our work is full of pleasures, We bind the richest treasures, And beautify their looks. CHORUS: Hallo, Halli, Hallo, Halli, The Binder’s life for me!
The Bookbinder’s Song
When bookbinders got together in the 18th and 19th century, they talked shop over a pot of ale, or several pots of ale. Sometimes songs resulted, often full of puns on bookbinding terminology, and always celebrating the craft that elevated printed words into something “improved.” Later, the songs were more likely
Bookbinding with the Girl Scouts
Recently the Bookbinders Museum was approached by local Girl Scout troop 33239 who were planning activities around their Book Artist badge. Librarian, Amelia Grounds, visited the troop and showed various aspects of bookbinding and book construction. Here, she recounts the day’s activities. I enjoy any opportunity to talk about bookbinding
Hand Bookbinders of California 43rd Members Exhibition
The American Bookbinders Museum is pleased announce that we will be hosting the Hand Bookbinders of California’s 43rd Annual Members’ Exhibition this summer from June 12 – September 13, 2015. This will be ABM’s first exhibition in our newly remodeled facility! We hope, it will be the first of many
Answers to the ABM Bookbinding Tools Trivia Contest!
The American Bookbinders Museum was thrilled to participate in the Antiquarian Book Fair in Oakland last weekend. We met so many lovely people, and were excited for the opportunity to talk about the museum and bookbinding with such a wide audience. Our bookbinding tools trivia contest was a hit both
ABM at California International Antiquarian Book Fair!
In case you hadn’t already heard, the American Bookbinders Museum is excited to announce that we will be attending the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Oakland February 6-8! We will have a selection of early bookbinding manuals on display as well as bookbinding tools and equipment. To get you
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
From the Librarian’s Desk | All the King’s Horses
Quite a lot of my work day at the moment is consumed with planning and big picture issues regarding setting up the library collections and safeguarding it for the future. One part of that is the cataloging of the library collections. There are two types of library cataloging: copy and
Books on books on books : An interview with librarian Amelia Grounds
Further rounding out the ABM staff is librarian and preservationist Amelia Grounds. Amelia has worked with rare books and special collections across the Bay, with UC Berkeley’s Preservation Department, and across the pond, where she earned her degree in Library and Information Science from University College London. With training and experience
Bookbinder of the Month | Rose Adler
This week’s post is a bit last minute, though an important subject nonetheless! Rather than try to write my own biography of Rose Adler, an extremely talented and inspiring Art Deco Bookbinder, I have posted below a detailed and well-written biography from the Willy Huybrechts archive. You can read the