Tag Archives: Bookbinding

Just Another Marbled Monday

Posted on June 20, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

This psychdelic marbled binding is on Le Terrecotte Figurate del Museo Nazionale di Napoli, or, “The Figured Terracottas of the National Museum of Naples.”  The book is by archaeologist and historian Alda Levi (1890-1950) and was published by Vallecchi Firenze Publishing … Continue reading →

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Words Are Music To A Bibliophile

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

I recently had an email from a former book customer asking if I could recommend a bibliopegist. My first response was: What’s a bibliopegist. I was only a little embarassed to admit that I didn’t know that it was another word for bookbinder. This … Continue reading →

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Repair and Restoration

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

  A big h/t to Bonnie B. our first and most loyal subscriber for this post on a loving restoration project from Japan. As an antiquarian and secondhand bookseller, I’ve done some minor repairs and restorations over the years, but … Continue reading →

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Good As New (almost)

Posted on September 20, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

After recently spending more than an hour making minor repairs to a damaged 19th century book, I have an even greater appreciation for book conservation professionals. This nine minute video shows how King’s College Library  Cambridge conserves its collection of … Continue reading →

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Yes, it can happen here

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

There are a few memorable books that I read during my childhood that had profound influence on my social and political consciousness. Sinclair Lewis’ novel It Can’t Happen Here was one that I’ve never forgotten. The book was published during the rise … Continue reading →

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Birth of a Book

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

The engaging short film below offers a quick tour of the Smith –Settle printing and bookbinding company in Leeds, England, where books are still made the old-fashioned way. The film’s director Glen Milner covers each step in the process as … Continue reading →

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This Is The End(papers)

Posted on July 12, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Those of us who are true book geeks suffer from an obsessive fascination with all aspects of books. We don’t just like reading books, or collecting books, we love the physicality of books. Some of us are into book covers. … Continue reading →

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Bookbinding Basics

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Brian D. Butler
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Back to Back

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The antiquarian book above is actually two volumes in one. This rare style of binding is usually referred to as dos-a-dos, from the French “back to back”. As the term suggests, these books share the same back cover. Books bound in … Continue reading →

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It’s Old Book Week

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

image © Bonnie M. Butler Although for years now pundits have been predicting that digital books would eliminate printed books any day now, the real thing still has an enduring allure. Some of us are fortunate enough to surround ourselves with … Continue reading →

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