When Mark Samuels Lasner visited my library in March 2010, he went straight to my Mary Hyde Collection. And he spent more than a few minutes admiring the books by, about, or formerly owned by Mary Hyde. Then he sauntered over to my Books About Books Collection, pulled down book after book, and pored over their contents. Mark remarked that I seemed to have books covering practically every facet of Books About Books.
I've added several hundred Books About Books since Mark's visit—a collection now totaling over 1100 books. And in that time, I've written blog posts telling you more than a little bit about my books about book publishers, booksellers, and book collectors. Today, I will tell you a little bit about the book workers in my library: books by and about the men and women who either helped make or repair books.
Journal of the Guild of Book Workers
Don't let the "VOL 1 NO 1" on the cover of this pamphlet fool you; the Guild of Book Workers has been around since 1906. It printed year books for the first forty years or so, then went to mimeographed sheets, which were distributed to the members. Finally, in 1962, it printed its first quarterly journal.
The Graphic Arts And Crafts Year Book
For the Year 1907
This year book is not one of the early year books of the Guild of Book Workers. Nor is it an early year book of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, which wasn't founded until 1914. It was published by The Republican Publishing Company of Hamilton, Ohio, and it is what the subtitle of the book says it is: The First American Annual Review of the Engraving, Printing and Allied Industries. Here are some photos from the 1907 Year Book.
To Be A Printer
The autobiography of Brooke Crutchley, Assistant University Printer of Cambridge University from 1930 to 1945, and then University Printer from 1946 to 1974.
The First Century of Printing: 1400-1500. An Exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, Jan 30-Mar 2, 1941.
The Lakeside Press.
The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe
An abridgment of Elizabeth L. Eisenstein's mammoth two-volume work, The Printing Press as an Agent of Change: Communications and Cultural Transformation in Early-Modern Europe.
Journal of the Printing Historical Society
I have this particular issue (Summer, 2001) because it contains Paul W. Nash's article, "The abandoning of the long s in Britain in 1800."
The History of Printing in America
Isaiah Thomas's book on printing will never grow old.
The Story of An Old Press
An Account of the Hand Press Known as the Stephan Daye Press, Upon Which Was Begun in 1638 the First Printing in British North America.
Printing in Delaware 1761-1800
A checklist of eighteenth century Delaware imprints.
Books On the Printing Crafts
In the Toronto Public Libraries
One of a vast number of pamphlets about the printing crafts that were included in The Last Book Sale Care Package.
And two more:
The Legibility of Type
A Book of Lettering
Weltz Type Faces
The type faces of the Weltz Ad Agency, circa 1960s.
The Little Manual of Calligraphy
Calligraphy anyone?
The Printmaker 1450 to 1950
An Essay On Prints
This copy of An Essay On Prints was formerly owned by Barratt's Library, Bond Street, Bath. Joseph Barratt was a bookseller and a bookbinder as well as the proprietor of Barratt's Lending Library in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Thomas Bewick: The Complete Illustrative Work
The Catnach Press
A Collection of the Books and Woodcuts of James Catnach
Max Beerbohm
Books, Manuscripts, and Caricatures From the Library of Mark Samuels Lasner
The Grolier Club Creates
Book Arts
Club Members
Printmaking
On Paper
The Everything of Its Two Thousand Year History
Papermaking: The History and
Technique of an Ancient Craft
Dard Hunter's book about papermaking should be in every bibliophile's library.
One Hundred Twenty-Five Years in the Paper Business
1819-1944
A History of America's first paper merchant, the Alling and Cory Company, together with an essay by Joseph T. Alling, "Paper, A Brief Account of How It Is Made."
Sample Book
A Sample Book of cover papers produced by Alling and Cory, circa 1930s
Cover papers were used as book covers for pamphlets.
Doeskin Cover Papers: Sample Book
The Cleveland Paper Company advertised and sold the cover papers. But the Chemical Paper Manufacturing Company made them.
Decorative Endpapers
I like marbled endpapers.
Here's a sample book of endpapers from TALAS
Here are some sample books of patterns I acquired while visiting the world-renowned Cockerell Bindery in Grantchester in 1988, along with remnants of marbled paper dated 1988, making the sheet one of the last sheets of marbled paper produced at the Cockerell Bindery. Sydney Morris Cockerell, known as "Sandy Cockerell," died in November 1987, and the contents of the Cockerell Bindery were sold in March 1989.
Bookbinding and the Care of Books
Sandy Cockerell's specialty was marbled endpapers. And his father's specialty was bookbinding.
The Vanishing Breed:
A History of Bookbinding
By my late friend Don Brady
Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books
A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology by Etherington & Roberts. Another book that should be in every bibliophile's library.
The Binding of Books
An Essay on the History of Gold-Tooled Bindings by Herbert P. Horne
An Historical Sketch of Bookbinding
The Uses of Bookbinding Literature
A lecture given by B. H. Breslauer at Columbia University on July 23, 1984.
Bookbindings, Old And New
Notes of a Book-Lover, With an Account of the Grolier Club by Brander Matthews.
Book Repair And Restoration
by Mitchell S. Buck
A Manual of Practical Suggestions For the Bibliophile
The American Bookbinder
The Bookbinder in Eighteenth-Century Williamsburg: An Account of his Life & Times & of his Craft
Bookbinding: Its Background and Technique
Edith Diehl was an early member of The Guild of Book Workers.
Binding and Repairing Books by Hand
My very first book on bookbinding. And I still follow David Muir's techniques of bookbinding.
Victorian Publishers' Bindings
Bibliopegia Fantastica
If a bookbinder ever says to you, "Give me some skin," RUN!!! Just Run!!!
Instructions from a Master Craftsman
Bookbinding History & Technique
Oak Knoll Catalogue 246 (2003)
1400 books about bookbinding
Mostly from the collections of Phiroze Randeria and Alfred Brazier.
The Restoration of Leather Bindings
Phiroze Randeria's copy, which I acquired from Oak Knoll
Hand Bookbinding
This copy belonged to the bookbinder Harold W. Tribolet.
Cleaning And Preserving Bindings & And Related Materials
Harold Tribolet was the former owner of this bookbinding book as well. Herbert L. Hanna, Technical Editor of the ALA Library Technology Program, gave him this copy in 1973.
Fine Binding in America: The Story of the Club Bindery
This book also belonged to Harold Tribolet. I acquired it with the other two books from his library. But E. A. Thompson's inscription does not mention Tribolet's name.
Here are some bookbinding books for beginners:
Bookbinding Basics
Bookbinding for Beginners
Bookbinding
A Keepsake printed for the Friends of Mt. Tam Press by the Haunted C & P Press, which contains an article on Bookbinding by A. Hushmark that was printed in the Inland Printer in July 1911.
Book Repairs
Book Mending
Advice to librarians on repairing inexpensive books.
Bookbinding BSA Style
And finally . . .
