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Saturday’s Bookbinding Tutorial
This past saturday we held our first bookbinding tutorial here at the museum. 4 of our volunteers came out and learned how to do a simple pamphlet stitch as well as the more complex sewing over tapes...
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Patron Saints of Bookbinding
Bookbinding is not for the timid of hand or heart. courtesy of Dan Goldberg Risk of stab by needle, loss of fingers by guillotine: these are the few perils that bookbinders face every day in their...
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Cleaning and Cataloguing the Pen Ruling Machine
This past Friday was Chronicle Books’ annual volunteer day. While the majority of the company spent the day helping out at the San Francisco Zoo, my two stellar colleagues Neil and Ben joined me here...
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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...
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A Day at the London International Antiquarian Book Fair : Starting a Book...
A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to be able to attend the London International Antiquarian Book Fair. My friend and fellow library student (Jill, for future reference) managed to secure tickets...
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A Short History of America’s Oldest Private Press
The Private Press movement suffered a sharp decline during the 1930s, with many presses closing down due to Depression-era costs. A few, however, managed to keep going. One of those intrepid presses...
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Book Traces
My first book love was the odd world of medieval manuscript art: an age defined by distinctive books that are inherently unique in form if not content. These handwritten and handmade books form the...
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Ink Making!
A few weeks ago we had a pilot ink making tutorial here at the Museum. Here are some images and explanations of the process, which resulted in use-able ink! It all started with a few Oak Galls (the...
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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...
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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...
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join us for a Volunteer Open House on October 14th!
Last week, the American Bookbinders Museum announced that we were on the hunt for fantastic volunteers; thanks to those who got in touch! This week I’m excited to announce that we’ll be hosting a...
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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...
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PSA: the museum will be closed on Tuesday, Oct. 27th…
Due to a private event taking place at the museum this coming Tuesday, we will be closed on October 27th, 2015. The museum will resume regular business hours (10 am – 4 pm) on Wednesday, October 27th....
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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,...
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the Kathleen V. Rogers Collection of Decorated Publishers Bindings comes to...
photo via Seven Days/Matthew Thorsen The American Bookbinders Museum is thrilled to announce that we are the new (permanent) home of the Kathleen V. Roberts Collection of Decorated Publishers’...
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How Would They Look if They Weren’t Well Bound? – A Bookbinders Song
The Bookbinder’s Song “Be man’s peculiar work his sole delight.”–Minstrel, Book 1 Air: “Johnny Lump’s Visit to Somerset House” Ere Printing began the dark ages to mend, On volumes of parchment their...
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The Ruler, a Bookbinders Poem
The Ruler by Samuel O. Spaeth Down by dot Hiccough ruling machine Der bindery ruler stands. Mit six days’ viskers on his face Und ink all ofer his hands. His disposition is calm and serene To his...
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stop by and say hello! Yerba Buena Art Walk Nov. 19th…
The American Bookbinders Museum is excited to be a part of November’s Yerba Buena Third Thursday Art Walk! We’ll be open later than usual (until 7:30pm) and invite you to stop by and see what we’re up...
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Time Honored Techniques: Bookbinding Manuals from 1650-1880
“Time Honored Techniques: Bookbinding Manuals from 1650-1880″, an exhibition of bookbinding manuals from the museum’s collection, reflecting changes in culture and technology, is open at the ABM...
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For All Time: The Victorian Gift Book
“Jo was the first to wake in the gray dawn of Christmas morning. No stockings hung at the fireplace and for a moment she felt as much disappointed as she did long ago, when her little sock fell down...
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