Tag Archives: Bookbinding

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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Not A Lost Art (yet)

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Those of us who buy, sell and collect antiquarian books obviously value them for their literary content, but most of us are also enamored by the physical books. I’m especially thrilled to discover intact old bindings and volumes which incorporate … Continue reading →

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At The Bookbinders

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

The folks from the London Review Bookshop paid a visit to London’s Shepherds Bookbinders to observe the creation of a limited special edition of Tom McCarthy’s novel Satin Island.

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The Art of the Book

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

As a collector and seller of antiquarian books, I often marvel at the astonishing binding and printing variants in old books. A favorite decorative feature in many 19th century volumes is the use of marbled paper and cloth for endpapers … Continue reading →

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Birth of a Book

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I absolutely love this short film, Birth of a Book, which is a brief vignette on the actual creation of a real book using traditional printing methods. The film was shot, directed and edited by Glen Milner for the Daily … Continue reading →

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