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Post by Ann on Aug 17, 2006 17:08:33 GMT
As a lot of you know, one of my hobbies is bookbinding. Since the weather's gone cool and cloudy (apart from yesterday, when I could be seen on a hillside picking bilberries at Rothbury!), I've been amusing myself by taking pictures of each stage of the book on which I'm currently working and building them into a webpage. I've really been enjoying doing it. I know there are a lot of booklovers here, so I wondered if you'd like a sneak preview of what goes into binding an antiquarian book. The page isn't finished yet as I'm still working on the book so you'll have to come back in a few days to see the book completely finished. (Longer if the weather picks up!) Here's the link Demonstration |
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Post by Lesley on Aug 18, 2006 6:36:19 GMT
ann, fantastic demo! what a lot of steps involved. i love the new life you give to books.
lesley
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Post by Xinzerella on Aug 23, 2006 0:22:58 GMT
I've stored the link for further perusal - there's a book bindery right next to me.
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Post by Ann on Aug 23, 2006 11:52:25 GMT
I've stored the link for further perusal - there's a book bindery right next to me. What's it called Sandra? |
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Post by Xinzerella on Aug 23, 2006 15:33:23 GMT
It's part of the university - they work closely with the university library.
I've been round it and saw some really beautiful bound journals - I was aiming for a job there but I suspect they found me rather quiet and nervous :-).
Anyway, they had some vicious looking machines there, but he demonstrated that if you tripped the sensor, the guillotine would just stop. It was the automatic sewing machine I was terrified of - that thing rattled along at full speed and they didn't point out any sensors. I love books, but would hate to find myself sewn into one.
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Post by Ann on Aug 23, 2006 16:25:03 GMT
When the classes I went to were at Newcastle College, there was the most lethal guillotine there that I've ever seen. It wasn't the cutting blade I was so bothered about, it was the safely rail that sprang out and would have broken your jaw into several pieces if you'd been in its way! I've never seen an automatic sewing machine.
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Post by SaffiandJasmin on Aug 23, 2006 21:24:12 GMT
Amazing demo pictures....and so many processes! I love the flat iron being used as a weight too!
Lesley t xx
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Post by Lesley on Aug 24, 2006 3:06:53 GMT
love the marble papers on the outside of the universal letter writer. very sophisticated!
lesley
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Post by Xinzerella on May 6, 2007 22:40:39 GMT
The book binders I was talking about above have been made redundant - university doesn't need them any more. Would have been infuriating if I had got the job, only to be kicked out in the snow again.
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Post by Ann on May 6, 2007 23:36:50 GMT
When you talk to professional bookbinders, it seems that more and more are having to give up. One of them was telling me that soon it'll only be the hobby binders like me who are left to carry on the craft! It's such a shame when there are so many old books out there that, with a bit of time and care, could be made to last hundreds more years. If we're not careful, part of our history will be lost.
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Post by Xinzerella on May 6, 2007 23:53:29 GMT
Hobbyists have far more value than is thought - they do seem to carry on all sorts of skills which would otherwise be lost. I know 'hip hop' DJs don't count as hobbyists (or do they?) but I read the other day that it's largely owing to them that we can still obtain record-players (if wished). And possibly needles if we still use record-players, but that's just a guess. Hmm. Hate the idea of 'scritching' records but it seems even that has something to offer!
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Post by Xinzerella on May 7, 2007 11:21:06 GMT
On second thoughts, it's not like that at all...
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Post by Ann on May 7, 2007 12:00:19 GMT
As long as you know your limitations, I think helping to keep a craft alive has a lot of value. I don't profess to have the range of skills and knowledge of a professional bookbinder for example. What I've done is tried to concentrate on a few standard techniques and do them well, rather than being mediocre at everything!
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Post by gill on May 10, 2007 19:44:30 GMT
Wow!!!!  I'm amazed at just how much work and care goes into repairing a book and how something that is falling apart can be turned into something that looks brand new It's incredible and MUST be so rewarding - I found all the steps fascinating  |
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I'm amazed at just how much work and care goes into repairing a book and how something that is falling apart can be turned into something that looks brand new 