Book and Paper Commons^™

The Bone Folder By Ernst Collin, Peter D. Verheyen

Librarian Publications

DER PRESSBENGEL/THE BONE FOLDER: A DIALOGUE BETWEEN AN AESTHETICALLY- INCLINED BIBLIOPHILE AND A WELL-VERSED-IN-ALL-ASPECTS-OF-THE- CRAFT BOOKBINDER By Ernst Collin, translated and introduced by Peter D. Verheyen Der Pressbengel, by Ernst Collin, was originally published in German in 1922. This is its first translation into English. Conceived as a dialogue between a bibliophile and a master bookbinder on all aspects of the bookbinding craft as well as specific techniques, the text also addresses the conflicts between quality and cost and matters of good taste. An introduction by the translator discusses the historical context of the decline of formal training, a trend …

The Changing Book: Transitions In Design, Production, And Preservation, Peter D. Verheyen

Librarian Publications

This book review was originally published in the Guild of Book Workers' Newsletter, Vol 181, December, 2008. "The Changing Book: Transitions in Design Production, and Preservation publishes the proceedings of the conference of the same name organized by and held at the University of Iowa July 22-25,2005. This conference tied together many threads, from an exhibition honoring the life's work of William (Bill) Anthony, the first conservator at the University of Iowa and teacher to some of today's best, to a "tent show" which gave the public the opportunity to learn about the book arts hands-on, to 19 formal presentations …

Member Profiles: Karen Hanmer And Peter Verheyen, Peter D. Verheyen, Karen H. Hanmer

Librarian Publications

This is the second in a continuing series of interviews of Guild members. Current and former Exhibitions Chairs Karen Hanmer and Peter Verheyen met at Standards in Chicago in 1999. She never dreamed his subliminal messages would entice her from making “freaky-foldies” to become a binder. He never suspected she would attempt to seduce him to the other side with odd examples of vaguely book-like ephemera. They share an appreciation of fine craft, spare design, and excessively robust (read Teutonic) endsheets.

William Anthony Fine Binder, Peter D. Verheyen

Librarian Publications

William “Bill” Anthony (1926-1989) was arguably one of the most influential bookbinders and conservators in the US. His impact cannot be measured by his work alone but also by his legacy as demonstrated by all those he trained, many of whom are now leaders in the field in their own right. Lawrence Yerkes’ forward and Helen Ryan’s introduction to the catalog describe not only Anthony’s life and work, but also the emotional bond they had with him and his spirit that touched so many.

The German Case Binding, Peter D. Verheyen

Librarian Publications

The case (Bradel) binding is the most common, general purpose binding structure in use by binders in Germany. What sets it apart from other case bindings is that the cover boards and spine stiffener are joined together with a strip of sturdy paper before covering. This allows the covers to be fit precisely to the textblock, especially at the joint and fore-edge. For this reason the structure is also very well suited to beginners. Books using this structure are generally covered in full cloth, paper, or a combination of the two. The structure is not well suited to leather binding …

Springback Ledger Bindings, Peter D. Verheyen

Librarian Publications

During his introduction, Richard Baker described how, while Deputy Head of the Conservation Bindery of the Johns Hopkins University Library'he was introduced to the springback binding. The historical development of the springback, originally patented in Great Britain in 1799 by John and Joseph Williams, is described in Bernard Middleton's History of English Craft Bookbinding, but Middleton does not detail the steps required to complete a binding. The springbackalso has a long history in the German binding tradition, where it continues to see regular use, especially for guestbooks. As a style, the springback is firmly rooted in the "trade" binding tradition. …

2005 Preservation Calendar, Donia Conn, Central New York Library Resource Council

Librarian Publications

Text and images illustrating common preservation problems affecting library and archival materials including books, papers, photographs, scrapbooks, textiles, audio recordings with tips on preserving them. From the 2005 Central New York Library Resource Councils (CLRC) 2005 calendar.

Millimeter Binding / Edelpappband, Peter D. Verheyen

Librarian Publications

What we call the “millimeter” binding in North America is a “nobler” version of the German “pappband,” or paper binding, hence the name “edelpappband.” The technique is based on the German case (Bradel) binding which is covered in paper. What distinguishes the technique is that cloth, leather, or vellum trim is added to the head and tail, foredges, and/or corners for greater durability, making the book more elegant at the same time. This article describes how to complete a binding using this technique.

Vellum On Boards, Peter D. Verheyen

Librarian Publications

Vellum is arguably one of the most beautiful binding materials in use, and at the same time one of the least used in modern design bindings. While it is often used in limp bindings, its use “over hard boards” has been much more limited. A study of the bookbinding literature reveals it being covered in-depth to a larger degree in German language trade manuals than in English. This could explain their seemingly greater popularity in Germany, as evidenced by reproductions in exhibition catalogs and other publications. With a decline in traditional training opportunities, it is becoming increasing difficult to find …

Storage Of Architectural Materials At The Syracuse University Library, Peter D. Verheyen, Carolyn Davis, Debra Olson

Librarian Publications

When the Department of Special Collections at the Syracuse University Library acquired the papers of Werner Seligmann, an architect and former Dean of the Syracuse University School of Architecture, the opportunity presented itself to develop a model storage system that could be applied to the other architectural drawings in the Department. While not large in comparison to these other collections, the Seligmann Papers were sizable enough to give us a better understanding of the storage issues involved if we decided to undertake the task of re-housing our other drawings. If such a task were to be undertaken, a new storage …

The Springback: Account Book Binding, Peter D. Verheyen, Donia Conn

Librarian Publications

These instructions for making a springback account book are derived from my notes as an apprentice at the Kunstbuchbinderei Klein, with adaptations over time. While my training is in the German tradition, the steps outlined should not be radically different from the English tradition. Although the technique was originally patented in Great Britain in 1799 by John and Joseph Williams,) the authors have found very few descriptions of this method in contemporary English language texts. Alex J. Vaughan describes the technique with great detail in Section II, 'Stationery Binding' of Modern Bookbinding. There is also an historical mention in Bernard …

Bringing Us Together / Getting Us Out, Peter D. Verheyen

Librarian Publications

The past five years have seen an explosion in the use of the Internet by book artists both as a tool for communication and as a means of publicizing their work. Not quite as rapidly, but steadily nevertheless some formerly traditional book artists have left the confines and limitations of hot type on damp paper to explore the creation of "books" which can only exist in digital form. In this presentation, I will explore how both book artists and the book arts represent themselves using digital media and what I see as some of the implications for the ways in …

Basic Paper Treatments For Printed Book Materials, Peter D. Verheyen

Librarian Publications

In October of 1989, at the Guild of Book Workers' Standards of Excellence Seminar, Betsy Palmer Eldridge gave a presentation on "Basic Paper Treatments for Printed Book Materials." This 2 1/2 hour presentation was a very ambitious undertaking, but she did a magnificent job.

Since these presentations and the synopses that later appeared in the GBW Newsletter, there has been some discussion. The presentations and these articles are not to be construed as a "how to" of basic paper conservation but rather as an introduction for those with interest but little experience. For the more experienced, they present the methods …