Sydney Royal Easter Show 2015

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1 Journal of Australian Craft Bookbinders ISSN MAY 2015 This issue... Sydney Royal Easter Show Some Notes on Journal Binding and Recessed Sewing 3 Microwave Paste Recipe 4 Finishing the Reback 5 Reattaching Loose Spine Leather 6 Gifts of the Trade 9 Interview 10 Mini Book with Double Cover 12 Simple Folded Box for Mini Books 13 Restoration of The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay 15 EDITOR: JOHN TURNER MOROCCO BOUND is published twice yearly by the NSW Guild of Craft Bookbinders Inc. Contributions covering the history, theory or practice of bookbinding are most welcome. Articles should be submitted on disk or by to the undersigned, if possible, on MS Word. Typed articles are also acceptable. If submitting material from another source, permission must be sought from that source prior to submission. The Editor reserves the right to sub edit material and articles are published at the Editor s discretion. Articles should be sent to: The Editor, Morocco Bound, NSW Guild of Craft Bookbinders, PO Box 1110, Rozelle NSW 2039, Australia. Secretary@nswbookbinders.org.au Website: Editorial Committee: Adrienne Allen, John Newland, Jean Riley, John Turner Sydney Royal Easter Show 2015 AT THE recent Royal Easter Show in Sydney four of our members received awards and the Guild extends its congratulations on their success. In Class 268 (Cased-in-Binding), Avril Makula was awarded First Prize for her entry which comprised a quarter-bound case binding measuring 177 x 130 x 25mm. It is housed in a solander box measuring 190 x 152 x 40mm. Grey Record bookcloth is used on the spine while gold Duocloth is used on the cover. The paper used for the text is 200gsm Canson Montval Aquarelle. The box is covered in the same fabric as the spine of the book. Stonehenge fine art paper, which was digitally printed with archival pigments, was used for both the lining of the box and the endpapers of the book. In Class 269 (Letterpress Style Binding: Boards Laced In), Rosemarie Jeffers-Palmer was awarded a Highly Commended for her entry Abstract Painting by Michael Seuphor. This book, published in 1958, but now out of print, was a gift to Rosemarie when she was teaching Art. To reflect the subject matter of the book, the history of abstract art up to the postwar period, Rosemarie incorporated into the decoration of her book both hardedged shapes and painterly effects. The text of her book is sewn on tapes using a link stitch. The endpapers were made with an extra fold and a zigzag construction, which allowed her to include sewn-in endpapers and a leather joint. The endpapers include black inlaid dots and stencil cut shapes, which reveal the underlying painted areas. The boards are laced in. Edge decoration, - 1 -

2 Morocco Bound May 2015 applied with acrylic inks, was executed to match the painterly effects of the leather onlays on the cover. The text block was rounded and backed and completed with a hollow back. The headbands, although less traditional, allowed Rosemarie to reveal colour banding where she chose. Black kangaroo leather was used to cover the boards, which were enhanced with inlays of yellow dots. finished with a decorative green-and-white floral paper. For the spine-sewing Jean used the off-white bookbinders thread. The book is housed in a slipcase covered with the same bookcloth as the spine. Class 268 (Cased-in-Binding), Avril Makula Class 269 (Cased-in-Binding), Jean Riley Class 269 (Letterpress Style, Boards Laced In), Rosemarie Jeffers-Palmer Another Highly Commended in Class 269 was awarded to Jean Riley for her entry of Randall Davies Books of Nonsense. Unbound copies of this book were acquired by the Guild with a view to running a bookbinding competition later this year. Jean s entry for the show is a half-bound flexible binding sewn on raised cords. The spine and corners are in blue Morocco leather with a geometric paper cover, which is also used for the endpapers. The book is housed in a solander box. In Class 270 (Any Other Style of Bound Book), Jean Riley was awarded First Place. The book, titled Woven Chain, is based on one of the link spine-sewings that were conceived by Keith Smith. Keith s creation is a three-section book but Jean increased this to four sections. The sections are made from 250gsm watercolour paper and all of the edges are deckled. The cover is quarter-bound with green Oxford bookcloth and Class 270 (Other Style of Binding), Jean Riley Class 270 (Other Style of Binding), David Grover - 2 -

3 Morocco Bound May 2014 Also in Class 270, David Grover was awarded a Highly Commended for his replica of the Nag Hammadi Codex, the earliest bookbinding. Codex is from the Latin, literally block of wood, later denoting a block split into leaves or tables for writing on, hence a book. David s entry is an accurate, full-sized replica of one of the earliest examples of a book, which began to replace papyrus scrolls in the first Christian communities. Folded papyrus sheets form the pages, knotted leather tackets and leather thongs form the spine, and the leather ties are slotted into the hand-dyed goatskin to secure the cover. The Nag Hammadi codices were writings of a Gnostic or Pachomian Christian monastery and were buried in a clay jar in sand and rock. They are among the most important manuscript finds of the twentieth century, as significant as the Dead Sea Scrolls are for Old Testament study. The NSW Guild, in extending its congratulations to the award winners, fully supports the comments of the judge, Ted Chapman, who expressed his surprise, disappointment and to some degree, embarrassment at the few entries submitted this year. His disappointment was shared by David Birdsall, one of the contributors to the prizes awarded, when he noted the very small number of leather bound entries. As Ted attests, there is a lot of talent in the NSW Guild and, together with the Guild Committee, he encourages members to find the time next year to enter the competition. In fact, there is a lot of talent throughout Australia, and it is timely to remind members from other Guilds that they are eligible and welcome to enter the Bookbinding Competitions of the Sydney Royal Easter Show. It would be sad if the bookbinding classes within the Show s Art and Craft competitions were to be reduced because of lack of interest by Guild members, given that one of the aims of the various state Guilds is to promote the craft of handmade books for future generations. Some Notes on Journal Binding and Recessed Sewing David Newbold Journal Binding Binding a journal, a book intended for handwriting, and binding an extra letterpress binding, a book that is to hold the printed word, are totally different methods of binding. An extra letterpress binding is rounded and backed, has the boards laced on with thongs, tapes or raised or recessed cords, and will have headbands, either hand sewn or fixed by adhesion. The book is then bound full, half or quarter style in an appropriate material and the endpapers put down with the boards open. A journal, on the other hand, is a stationery binding and is bound so that the book opens completely flat to allow the pages to be written on; and therein lies the difference. We all should know how to bind an extra letterpress binding, but binding a journal is something not commonly taught. What follows is my description of a good quality and strong journal binding. My journal binding is similar in method to that of to the ultimate stationery binding, the Account Ledger, but without the clothings 1 and spring back. It also has thinner boards. The text block is sewn on tapes with herringbone kettle stiches and includes made endpapers 2 which are adhered to the first and last pages of the book. The book is rounded but not backed, meaning that a bit of swell is needed and encouraged. The spine has a lining of mull and paper. The outside pages of each endpaper are made into tongues which sandwich the mull and tapes in a way similar to a ledger binding but omitting the 600μm 3 stiffener. Split boards are then attached. The boards are set back from the spine edge about ten millimetres. The book is then covered with an appropriate material with a spine hollow the length of the boards and the same width as the spine. We still need to press the joint to attach it to the endpaper. When sufficiently dry, the endpapers are glued down and pressed in a method similar to that used for a ledger. On the market today are a number of journals of varying quality and which lack the complexity of the journal described. They may for instance have a drawn on solid leather cover without boards. Most, however, do appear to open flat. Sawn-in or Recessed Sewing Up to a certain point in history, all spines were sewn with raised cords or bands which divided the spine into so many panels. The French preferred a style with no bands, giving books a smooth spine to allow for a particular spine design and decoration. To enable that, a sewing method involving sans raised cords was required. Thus was developed a method of putting the - 3 -

4 Morocco Bound May 2015 cords below the surface. This entailed saw cuts, or cerfs, across the spine that would accept the sewing cords. When rounded and backed, the boards could still be laced in as usual. Once headbanded, lined-up and covered, there was an open surface to decorate unencumbered by raised bands. The whole spine was just waiting for a new style of design and the French changed the idea of spine decoration. (The mention of the French as inventors is a little tongue-in-cheek as recessed sewing goes back to the sixteenth century, but let s not spoil a good story). It was then realised that this method of sewing was indeed quicker to achieve and it was accepted for use everywhere. A problem arose when it was realised that customers still wanted raised bands. It was then that false raised bands started to be used. Purists, in criticising the practice of recessed cords, will tell you that once a cerf is sawn it is there for the life of the book. This is true, but, on the other hand, once you poke a needle in a section you have a hole for the rest of its life as well! Our obligation as bookbinders is to make sure that the cerfs are not too deep, or too wide, but just deep enough to accept the cord and keep the sewing solid. We must also ensure that the cord cannot be detected from the inside of the section. Many people have used recessed sewing for its speed and have not cared about the depth or width of the cerf, ending up with wider and deeper saw cuts than are needed, and leaving a rather loose sewing that in many cases lessens the life of the book. The practice of sewing on tapes eliminated the need for cords. In England, tapes were generally only used for stationery work or cheap casework and cords remained popular for letterpress binding for some time. 1 The strips of leather, cloth or parchment (or vellum) which are glued to the spine of a stationery binding between the webbings, both to strengthen the spine and help maintain its shape. Also called strappings. (Etherington and Roberts: Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology) 2 A type of endpaper consisting of two decorative leaves, e.g., marbled, coloured, etc., and two or three plain leaves. The decorative end is pasted to one of the plain leaves, and, on larger books, a linen guard, through which the sewing passes, is wrapped around both. One decorative leaf becomes the board paper, the other, as well as the plain leaves, being the free flyleaves. If a waste sheet is desired, another plain folded sheet is tipped to the innermost plain leaf and one leaf is swung around on top of the board paper. This method also gives an additional free flyleaf. (Etherington and Roberts) microns or millionths of a metre and refers to thickness. Sometimes written as um to avoid using the Greek letter μ. Materials Measuring cup or medicine glass Supermarket grade wheat flour Tap or bottled water Heat resistant glass bowl or large glass Container to mix flour and water Wooden stirrer Microwave oven Cling wrap Method Microwave Paste Recipe Measure 50ml water into mixing container. Use the medicine glass to measure 10ml of the flour for thin paste and 20ml for thick paste, and stir into the water. If possible leave to stand for an hour. It is even better to leave it overnight covered in the refrigerator. Compiled by Adrienne Allen This recipe is one of many I have seen. It is intended as a general use paste. Starch paste, particularly the wheat variety, is recommended for conservation work. I can report that I have used some of the paste that Adrienne prepared, and it seems to work very well. Having said that, there are probably readers who have their own formulas. Further communication and discussion on this interesting and sometimes contentious subject is encouraged, and could be the basis of a follow-up article in the November issue of this journal. (Editor). Heat 50ml water for 40 seconds in microwave. Stir in previously prepared flour mixture vigorously. Microwave and stir in 15 second bursts until paste is translucent. Heating for too long will make the paste boil all over the turntable. Throw out stirrer if disposable. Cover the container with cling wrap and allow paste to cool. Add a drop of cloudy ammonia if you have it, to increase the ph. Stir. Cover again and keep refrigerated. Transfer the amount you want to use into a small dish and immediately cover your main supply to keep out dust, spores, pet hairs, dandruff and other unwanted air-borne invisibles. Make a new batch every couple of days. Clean your paste brush regularly with soap and water and dry it

5 Morocco Bound May 2014 Finishing the Reback Repairing Split and Exposed Hinges with Japanese Tissue John Turner THE hinge is the inner juncture of the board paper and fly leaf or first free endpaper. In a reback, new material, usually cloth or leather, is inserted under the covering material, extended over the spine, and inserted under the covering material on the other board. In addition to the new spine, a reback will usually involve introducing new material to replace the material that originally joined the bookblock to the boards. This new material is usually linen, or sometimes mull. In a Brockman leather reback, the boards are split to take new linen strips. The original structure of the book is altered by splitting the board, and the addition of new material will increase the thickness of the board at the hinge. The depth of the hinge is thus increased, meaning there is a unsightly gap between the board edge at the inner hinge and the outer shoulder of the flyleaf. A rebacked book with the board open, photographed prior to the hinge paper being repaired. The fabric, possibly linen, used to join the boards to the text block, can be seen along the centre of the hinge. The new leather joint will probably not have been pared as thinly as the original. Obviously, paring the leather as thin as possible without compromising strength, and applying enough pressure to prevent too much swelling of the board are at least partial solutions here. There will nearly always be a gap however. (Of course if new endpapers tipped on and laid down, then the following procedure is unnecessary, as the hinge will be covered by the new material). I cover the gap by applying a new hinge lining using Japanese tissue, dyed with acrylic if necessary. If the endpapers (paste down and flyleaf) are plain (eg white or off white), a strip of mid weight tissue of suitable shade such as Kozo is a good choice. One side is slightly smoother than the other, and it is generally the smoother side that I display, but that depends on the surface of the original paper. I score and tear the tissue along the grain direction so that the edges are not sharp, and can thus be easily blended with the surrounding paper. The width of the tissue piece should be enough to cover the exposed area and just grab the surrounding area at the outer shoulder and the board edge. It does not really have to extend onto the paste down or the free endpaper. PVA is applied to the side of the strip to be glued down, the strip is applied and then and rubbed down carefully under non-stick paper. Baking paper is excellent here. I use PVA as it remains flexible, unlike paste which can crack if subject to movement after it dries. The hinge in a bound book i.e. one with laced on boards, will have a sharper appearance than a cased book, with more clearly defined angle where e the paste down goes over the inner edge of the board. This due to the way the endpapers are laid down and moulded over the hinge. It is often easier to get a neater finish doing this repair on a bound book, as the surface of the hinge tends to be larger. Where a colour match is required, I dye the tissue with tube acrylic paint. Dilute the paint, as a thick mixture will make the tissue stiff and brittle. Paint the colour on with a stiffish brush, and let this dry before applying. A few test pieces may be required before the correct shade is achieved. For marbled paper, I dye to match the main base colour, and finish off the pattern with other acrylics or a fine felt tip pens, after the strip has been applied to the hinge. The latter can be useful when painting in the dark veins in marbled paper. Concentrate on getting the general tones correct rather than worrying too much about painting in the pattern exactly. It is surprising how easily the look can be achieved, providing you get the right colour values. I much prefer this method to the common one of pasting a strip of marbled paper that is either a rough match or a colour photocopy of the original

6 Morocco Bound May 2015 Reattaching Loose Spine Leather on a Book with a Tight Spine John Turner THE PROCESS referred to in the title of this article can be one of the more difficult tasks in book restoration. With, however, a methodical, logical approach and performing the steps without rushing, a good result can be achieved. Replacing the leather on a damaged book is often easier if the book is a large one. Here the leather is often thicker and less likely to break up. In fact, especially on older books, say from the 17th century, the leather can appear to have hardly been pared at all on the turn ins. The book that is the subject of this article had a mid-17th century binding, and the leather was thick and though a little dry, was still supple. It was bound in tight back style (i.e the spine leather was adhered directly onto the spine lining, without a hollow). The boards were laced on to six thick cords and were still firmly attached, with the joints firm. The leather had split at the head and tail joints. The original hand-sewn headbands were still attached and in good enough condition to retain. As a general practice, I avoid removing anything on a book to be repaired that is still firmly attached. In this case, the leather at the top section was only just attached to the sections and as previously stated, was separated at the joints. The only connection with the rest of the leather was at the upper edge of the top raised band. Accordingly, I removed this leather in one piece and set it aside. The fact that the leather was thick, and though slightly brittle and in good condition, made this job much easier and the headcap and turn-in were preserved intact. (Illustration 1) As the joints were still firm and required no more strengthening, I decided that the repair would only consist of a new piece of leather laid down over the spine and tucked in under the board leather. I selected a piece of undyed kangaroo, already fairly thin, and cut it to a roughly square shape, allowing enough at the edges to form a headcap and for tucking in at the boards. The new piece was then stained to the colour of the original spine and board leather. When dry, the piece was cut to a more exact size and pared at all four edges. I next lifted the leather at the joint near the head on both boards to allow easy tucking in of the new leather. This lifting extended to the inside of the boards, where the leather was loosened at the turn-ins to allow the new leather to be inserted. I used a boot knife for this operation. The knife I use has some age to it and Illustration 1: Reverse side of removed section. sharpening over time has reduced the width of the cutting edge to between 5mm and 10mm. The metal has great flexibility and is easy to get into small areas. The next step once caused me problems until I began using another method. On a tight back binding, forming the headcap with the new leather, and moulding it over the headband, is much easier if some steps are performed in reverse order. Rather than put on the new leather in one step and then try to turn the leather in under itself to form the headcap, it is easier to do the turn in first. Firstly, I checked the new leather piece to ensure it was the correct size. I then glued up the area on the spine and the new leather that would form the turn-in - 6 -

7 Morocco Bound May 2014 on the spine. (It is important that the piece is placed the correct way up! The dyed, upper surface is the one that is stuck down.) I then placed the leather on the spine, and rubbed it down. (Illustrations 2 and 3) Incidentally, the adhesive I used for this step is a mixture of EVA (PVA is another option) and wheat starch. EVA/PVA adds strength and flexibility, important on a tight back where the leather will need to move with the spine when the book is opened. If the leather is dry and powdery, then EVA/PVA by itself can be a better option as it has less water content than paste and is less likely to blacken old dry leather. I allowed this to dry for 30 minutes before undertaking the next step. This drying made the next step easier, as the leather was now firmly positioned on the book, in the correct position. Providing the new piece has been cut to the correct size, all that needs to be done now is to complete the final assembly. The exposed bottom surface of the leather was now pasted. The paste was allowed to soak in, and then pasted again so that the leather is a little damp and flexible. The exposed spine lining, and the bottom part of the previously stuck on turn-in, was coated with PVA. The next step was done in one operation. The leather was folded over on itself and tucked in under the board at the joints. It was worked in under the old leather at the turn-ins and taken down over the spine. At this point I was not too concerned with perfect neatness as the damp paste-soaked leather was still flexible and could be manipulated as each step was performed. (Illustration 4) I worked the new, and still damp, leather in position until everything was aligned, with the turn-ins neat and the old leather firmly attached to the new. Illustrations 2 and 3: First placement of the new piece. Illustration 4: Folding the new piece over itself

8 Morocco Bound May 2015 I then formed the headcap (ie the leather that is turned over to cover the headband). The new leather was pulled out a little at the head with fingers and a bone folder, then pulled out a little at each end of the headband with a bone folder and worked and flattened over the headband using the folder. I then turned the book over, resting the newly formed headcap on the benchtop and worked a folder around the head of the spine to complete the moulding of the cap. (Illustration 5) book from head to tail, looped at one end and pulled tight, depressing the new leather at the top of each joint at the headband ends and imparting a notch in the leather. Back cornering is still common now, but did not exist until the last quarter of the 18th century. Thus for this restoration, the joint leather at the head and tail is flush, without a notch or depression. To finish this job, I applied the EVA/Paste mixture to both the reverse of the old head piece and the upper surface of the new leather. I then placed the old piece down and squeezed it into position. Rubbing down is generally not recommended even under buffer material as the old leather can be damaged. Instead, I placed a piece of non-stick baking paper over the repaired area and then wrapped it in elasticised medical bandage. This method applies even pressure over the repair and avoids damage caused by severe rubbing down. The repair was then set aside to dry overnight. (Illustration 6) Illustration 5: New headcap completed. I should mention here that boards on books of this period were not back cornered ie they did not have the corners removed at the joints. With back cornered boards, a length of sewing thread is passed around the Illustration 6: Restoration covered with non-stick paper and bandage awaiting drying

9 Morocco Bound May 2014 Gifts of the Trade Derek Hood Derek Hood is a leading designer bookbinder in the UK. The following article written by him appeared in the Summer 2015 edition of the Designer Bookbinders (UK) Newsletter. Derek expresses some interesting views on bookbinding design and technique, particularly in the use of leather. I asked Derek if we could republish his article in our journal and he was happy to oblige. My thanks to Derek, and also to Dan Wray of Designer Bookbinders for his assistance. (Editor). HAVING worked in the past in traditional fine binderies, I have been asked to write a few words on how some of the practices used in them may have influenced the way I work. So I will try to touch on a few methods that I have used, or still use, in my studio whilst working today. Undoubtedly my experience working in traditional fine binderies has influenced the way I work in many different ways. Some are a result of learning new methods or enhancing traditional techniques and others I have developed as a reaction, and sometimes solution, to solving problematic production methods. Similar to the way work is produced in the trade, I am very much drawn to making classic leather bound books with the design element being added later. This approach may be inherent in me as a designer, rather than traditionally inherited, as my leanings to most aspects of art and design have always tended to be on the pure and minimal side. When approaching a fine binding my working practices are generally the same as they are for most. Once a method of sewing and board attachment has been decided on which suits the text block, I begin the process of making. Taking care with every process is key as damaging a paper book block is easier than some would imagine. I m sure we have all seen someone attempting to round and back a book with the same effort required to bang a nail into a piece of oak a technique taken straight from the Jeremy Clarkson Guide To Bookbinding. I do like, and still use, some elements of traditional board attachment like lacing-in, as I feel it produces a robust and strong binding. I don t mind, like some, seeing the little lumps of the cords at the hinges underneath the leather. This shows me how the binding has been sewn and constructed. It s also very easy to hide these cords, almost completely, by changing the angle of the entry point into the boards. Sanding the board edges, with a soft chamfer, before covering is another staple of my bindings and again harks back to traditional binding methods. When covering a decorated binding in leather, I tend to use the best part of the skin I can, as if I were producing a plain bookbinding with minimal finishing. This way, I am happy that I ve made a strong, beautiful and functional book to begin with. I understand that it may make sense to cover a book that has inlay decoration using leather that may have blemishes or marks that will later be cut out and discarded. Whilst perhaps saving ten pounds might make financial sense to a trade bindery, when producing numerous books, I am lucky not to have such large financial constraints and overheads, and can make my choice freely. The threat of any problems due to impurities, or weak points in the skin, are then minimised. Artistically, it gives me the perfect base to start marking, cutting and sculpting. I suppose sculpture is a good analogy here; I couldn t imagine Moore, Hepworth or Gill starting the process of carving into a marble monolith without carefully making sure it was the perfect piece for the work. Properly assessing and choosing the correct materials from the outset are paramount to the success and feel of the finished piece. As many of you may know I tend to gild my book edges in a variety of pure metals. This not only enhances my chosen design aesthetic but also prevents direct and excessive light intrusion into the text block and can help to keep paper discolouration at bay. I have adapted the traditional skills I first learnt by adjusting my methods as I encountered problems. This process of honing my skill eventually led to a simple and reasonably foolproof method, which I now use. It also led me to cut out two of the traditional processes that I saw no real benefit or need for. Namely, adding a layer of bole underneath the starch and eliminating the use of French chalk pre-preparation

10 Morocco Bound May 2015 In relation to gilding, I am not a fan of small board squares, and prefer to use (instead) slightly larger ones than are sometimes used. For me, this is a simple matter of taste and is purely subjective. Although I could argue that a slightly larger square will protect my newly gilded edge from fidgeting fingers and thumbs Working for two of the most famous binderies in the UK, I have also been lucky enough to handle and closely examine books made by many of my favourite iconic binders- namely Pierre Legrain, Paul Bonet and Henri Creuzevault. Most of these beautiful books also have reasonable squares, which I feel simultaneously protects the edges and balances the weight and size of the book aesthetically. Another method that I use regularly and have adapted from traditional fine binding experience is covering books reasonably quickly using a mix of paste and reversible PVA. Whilst working in a fine bindery in London, it was normal to cover a dozen or so fine bindings in full leather per day. Using a mix of PVA and paste gives a shorter working time but slightly better adhesion, making this possible. This method is especially useful when I have inlays crossing workable joints, as the grab of the adhesive is paramount to their success. I have also used the same mix of adhesives to apply inlays as it gives a versatile combination of movement and adhesion. I definitely owe my covering skill to the hours spent in binderies making full leather books as part of a team Malcom Gladwell s 10,000 hours rule would be applicable. Bookbinding is clearly a craft that is traditional by default, and whilst for some it has been easy to criticise fine trade binderies for their occasional and mostly unconscious poor practices, most of these are now behind us. And without these establishments existing, bookbinding would not be where it is today and some of our finest craftsmen and women would surely have not have existed. Without them, as without books, we have no past and no future. Interview The following is the first of what I hope will be a regular segment in Morocco Bound interviews with Guild members. We have published interviews previously, but usually with professional binders. Their stories are very interesting, but amateur bookbinders have a story to tell too. We start with Gayle McGovern, who is the current Treasurer of the NSW Guild. (Editor) Thank you for sharing your life story with us Gayle. Could you give us some background on your life and career? Nearly 30 years ago I became involved in a fairly specialised area of the conference industry and was probably the first person to operate interactive handheld keypads in Australia. I ve been doing that on and off ever since, with a break in the middle when I had my kids and moved interstate. I started a small business making hand-designed rugs on the Gold Coast and I then ran my own market stall selling second hand goods at Sydney s Rozelle and Kirribilli Markets while my youngest child was still a baby. It was during my market stall days in the late 1990s that my first husband passed away. I found that dragging three kids under 10 to the markets every weekend became physically exhausting so I put my youngest in daycare and went back to work for my former bosses in the conference industry, re-launching their interactive keypad division which had lapsed into inactivity over the years. We eventually went into partnership in a separate business which I then took over as sole proprietor in During this time I also met my second husband and helped him grow a recruitment arm to his logistics consultancy business. I have run a small recruitment consultancy of my own ever since, with my husband s company being one of my clients. Being widowed young and raising three kids for several years on my own, I was very grateful to have a business that allowed me to be self-employed and earn enough money to support my family. But I have never enjoyed what I do for a living. At heart I am an artist and have always dreamed of doing something creative. Very few people, however, make a living from their art. Thus I took the opportunities offered to me with gratitude if not always enthusiasm. I made the most of the occasional chance to inject a creative activity into the mix designing slides, copywriting, designing graphics for documents or websites, laying out marketing materials etc. How and when did your interest in bookbinding start? I have been a passionate dabbler in just about every hobby and craft you can think of for my entire life and it was inevitable that I d eventually get around to bookbinding. I just wish it hadn t take me over 50 years. I can t even remember what first made me try it although I think I stumbled upon a Youtube video and it just went from there. You can learn just about anything from Youtube these days but it wasn t until I did the Beginner s Course at the Bindery in early 2014 that I realised how little I actually knew. I learned more in that one weekend at the Bindery than I did in the previous year and a half from Youtube. Nothing beats being shown how to do something by a true expert and

11 Morocco Bound May 2014 unless you learn the basic skills properly you are forever doing things wrong and most likely the hard way. The quality of my work increased dramatically and I was quite simply hooked. I started hanging out at the Bindery every chance I could and I always had a new project on the go, making books and giving them to friends and family as gifts (although there is still a sizeable collection on my shelves at home). I experimented with different techniques and variations on what I had learned at the Beginner class, and I ve since attended several of the Guild s other courses, all of which I enjoyed enormously. Being part of the Guild has become an integral part of my life and I was delighted to be elected Treasurer late last year. Do you have any other areas of interest in terms of art and design? Do you try to use these in your bindings? The scope to combine other arts and crafts into bookbinding (particularly when it comes to artistic binding) is almost limitless. I have used the skills I learned in the Bindery to create gold tooled leather earrings, custom-made covered jewellery stands, lampshade covers and other decorator items. I am currently passionate about block printing, stamp-making and painting with gouache. I also spent several years making beaded, resin, silver and wire jewellery. I sketch and paint, and I do a lot of graphic design both by hand and with programs like Photoshop and Illustrator. I write, and I am a voracious reader. I am also very good with tools. Perhaps because of all this my interest is in creating books that are useful books that people can write or paint in, or use for a practical purpose. For example, I took all the superseded letterhead and marketing flyers from my husband s office and perfect bound them into a collection of branded notepads for his business. I have repurposed books into handy desktop storage for pens and turned others into concealed moneyboxes. I find I am more drawn to making new books or repurposing books than to the idea of restoring old books to their original form. What materials you like working with? I particularly love hand-made paper and screen printed fabric. I also hoard wallpaper samples and collect stray bits of leather. I habitually snap up old notebooks, journals and sketchbooks so I can pull them apart and make them into something new (I love hand-sewing signatures!). I accumulate bits of jewellery, gemstones, metal findings, cast pieces anything that might be used as a clasp, or an inlay/onlay, or to decorate the front or spine of a book. I have become a bit of an expert at finding hidden treasures at garage sales, markets and auctions perhaps because the sorts of things I look for are not the usual bits and pieces that dealers find interesting to re-sell. You only have to look at my workshop to see the result of over ten years of compulsive hoarding. Friends and acquaintances who come into my workshop look around in wonder and comment on how inspirational it is. Of course that could simply be a very polite word for mess. Does work interfere with your hobby? It might have once but I am at an age now, and with my kids no longer dependent that I don t feel the pressure to take every job that comes along. I have been known to turn away a paying job if I either don t want to do it, or it interferes with something I d rather be doing. Funnily enough, saying no often makes people want you more. Luckily I am self-employed, I work from home, and I am in a situation where I can do a lot of my work when I want it s not unusual for me to write a profiling report at two in the morning. Conferences do require me to be on site at a particular time but these jobs are usually over in one or two days and I don t do more than one or two a month. Then I can come home to my workshop and continue with whatever project I m currently working on until I next need to go out and clock up some billable hours. Are there areas you would like to improve on frustrations, etc I m a bit of a dilettante. I want to know it all and I want to know it right now. I am also impatient, so in seeking the most bang for my buck I tend to prefer the quick fix of stab binding or other similar methods over fully case bound projects. As a result I am probably getting really rusty at proper binding. I am often so busy exploring new and unusual ways of doing something (eg, I recently wasted an afternoon in the Bindery experimenting with a technique to make marbled paper using shaving cream and food colouring) that I am in danger of forgetting the original lessons I learned at my beginners class. There are just so many things I want to try! I would like to explore block pressing, gold tooling and leather binding. I want to experiment and perhaps create some unique binding techniques of my own. What do you see yourself doing in the future in terms of bookbinding? In reality, I will probably still just be messing about with it as a hobby although hopefully I will have learned and practiced many new skills and be a lot better at it than I am now. You only have to talk to people who have been in the industry for years to get the impression that one cannot really make much of a living as a bookbinder. With this in mind one can at least have realistic expectations for the future. I would like to create new artistic binding techniques and perhaps teach them in a class at the Guild. I would like to have a large wellequipped studio that has everything I could possibly need for printing, blocking, binding and tooling, and be able to create artworks that are accepted by the creative community and desired by the public. I would like to win awards for artist books and be known as a legitimate member of the bookbinding community. And I would like to travel the world sourcing unique raw materials which I could sell via an online business

12 Morocco Bound May 2015 Mini Book with Double Cover Secured with Interlocking Tabs Jean Riley THIS interesting little book, which can be enlarged to suit the binder s needs, was taught to me by a French bookbinder, Helene Jollee, at an extended workshop over several days, and which was arranged by David Newbold at his Glebe bindery. MATERIALS: Cover: vellum, card stock or heavy weight paper approximately 300gsm. Height 92mm x Width 36 Decorative paper if you wish to decorate the cover. Text: Five sections of 3 or 4 folios, depending on paper weight. I suggest four folios in each section of 110gsm cartridge, H 88mm x W 144mm. DIRECTIONS: Prepare the cover by cutting out the shaded areas (See diagram below for measurements and cutting area). Score the fold lines where indicated on the diagram to mark the front and back covers and spine sections. Prepare sections by folding the folios in half and then stab the sewing stations on each section starting from head 8mm; 15mm; 15mm; 15mm; 15mm; 15mm; leaving 10mm at tail. SEWING INSTRUCTIONS: Line up the spine of first section with C, the inside of the back cover and beside B, the spine section prepared for sewing the text to the cover. Begin the sewing from the outside of sewing station 1 at the tail of the first section. A B C D E F G H 92mm heigth Shaded areas to be cut out and removed Score lines Score lines overall width

13 Morocco Bound May 2014 Enter section 1. Take the thread over the head of the section and the cover twice and re-entering at ss 1. Exit at ss 2. Take thread over the tape of the cover and enter ss 3. Exit at ss 4. Take thread over tape and enter ss 5. Exit at ss 6. Pass thread twice over the head of section and cover. Thread should be on the outside of ss 6. Add the next section, enter from outside and pass the thread over section and cover twice. Exit at ss 5. Continue to ss 1 and tie off thread at start of sewing. Continue sewing in the same manner until all sections are added. To finish, fold on the score lines to make a double thickness of front and back covers and then lock the tabs by inserting them into the slits between the sewing stations and the spine where sewing began. Guide to identify sections of cover. A. Flap to support sewing tabs (will finally be positioned inside front covers) B. Sewing tabs. C. Inside of back cover. D. Outside of back cover. E. Outside of spine. F. Outside of front cover. G. Inside of front cover. H. Locking tabs (insert between flap A and Sewing stations B. Fold back to lie between front covers. Jean Riley Simple Folded Box for Miniature Books Jean Riley MATERIALS: Card stock or manila board covered with paper or fabric. If using fabric, line the fabric with rice paper using flour paste as the adhesive. BASE: To construct the base, measure the height and width of the book and add 2 3mm to the height and width of the book (depending on the thickness of the material used for the box), plus four times the depth or thickness of the book to make the sides of the box. The 2 3mm allows for turn overs. To make the sides of the box mark of the measurement allowed for the thickness or depth of the book, TWICE at the head and tail and twice at the sides. (See diagram on next page) Score all the dotted lines cut along the heavy lines. Cut out the corner sections where indicated. When cutting the heavy lines trim about either side of the cut line to allow for neater turn ins. On sides 1 and 4 fold side B to lie on top of side C. Apply a little glue and bone down with bone folder. On sides 2 and 3 fold in tabs D. If tabs D overlap each other trim so that they meet in the centre. Fold side F to lie on top of tabs D and side E. Apply a little glue and bone down

14 Morocco Bound May 2015 LID: Construct lid in the same way as the base BUT add an extra 4-5mm to the height and width of the centre section. Line the inside of the base and lid to hide card stock if desired. Place lid on base until dry. Side 2 *Thickness of book F D D * E * * * * Side 4 A Base of box B C Height x Width of book + 2 3mm added C B to height and width Side 1 For lid of box Height x Width of book + 4 5mm added to height and width * E D D * F Side 3 Fold lines Cut lines Trim lines Cut out areas

15 Morocco Bound May 2014 Restoration of The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay 1 Barbara Schmelzer This article is a slightly edited version of a talk given by Barbara Schmelzer at the 2014 Annual General Meeting of the NSW Guild of Craft Bookbinders. ABOUT three years ago I was approached by the University of Wollongong to undertake restoration on a 1789 first edition of The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay, which had been donated to the University. The book is 300 x 240 x 50mm comprises some 400pp and 55 copper engraved plates depicting Australian flora and fauna, indigenous people, scenes and a number of maps. This valuable book was in very poor condition, particularly as gaffer tape had been used in an attempt to repair the spine. The leather on the spine had badly deteriorated and the book block was split down the middle. Leather condition of the spine and the split book block Water damage, which spread from the foredge towards the spine and which also affected the marbled end papers was also a serious problem. Old gaffer tape repair The water damage had caused mould to develop and the maps had incurred damage at the creases. Damaged endpapers and torn fold to one of the maps After assessing the damage I decided that the book needed to be pulled and washed, in order to remove, or at least diminish the water marks on the pages and prevent any future growth of mould on the pages. The plates would then be hinged with archival paper replacing the overcast sewing. New acid free interleaving would be inserted to protect the plates. The book, unfortunately, needed a new spine owing to the deter-ioration of the leather the spine label had long been lost. I set up a table outside my workshop where the book was cleaned of the mould spores with a soft brush. I then removed the old leather and spine linings with a poultice of paste and began to pull the book. The book, like many of its period, was, for the most part, single pages which had been overcast. The overcasting made it very difficult to take apart. Once the pages were separated they were treated with a mixture of ethanol/ water sprayed onto the pages to disinfect and kill the fungus. The big task of washing all the pages was then started. Water stained frontispiece and title page The restored book showing newly tooled spine and new red leather title

16 Morocco Bound May 2015 The original boards were retained as the leather was in good condition, but there were some unsightly tide marks, also from water damage. The front board also had a tear. Washing the text pages and plates Many large sheets of blotting paper and Reemay and two large photographic trays were set aside to accommodate the pages. Reemay is a non-stick fabric used to support pages during washing. Wet paper loses much of its strength and tears easily when you try to pick it up. To avoid any damage to the pages, they were supported in a Reemay sandwich during washing. This made it reasonably easy to handle the sheets. On average the pages needed three washes to remove the dirt and mould. Each wash was carried out using slightly alkaline tepid water (ph 8) until the water became clear indicating that the pages were now clean. A fourth bath, with water treated with a Calcium hydroxide saturated solution, completed the washing. The washing process had taken a long time but, fortunately, it was done in February. Consequently the pages dried quite quickly. Once the pages were dried they were placed into their correct order. I would like to mention here, my appreciation for the fact that most old books have bound into them a list of the illustrations and reference to the pages they face, which saves time and avoids having to mark the plates with a pencil. The next stage was to carry out the paper repairs. Many of the mould damaged pages needed to be lined with thin Japanese tissue to stabilize them and to fill in gaps where sections were missing. Once the paper repairs were carried out the pages were fashioned into sections with Japanese rice paper again used to repair the folds. The sections were then resewn onto hemp cord. The leather was sprayed with the same ethanol/ water mixture that was used on the pages to treat mould. The white tide lines, fortunately, were mainly on the top of the leather and came off with the help of a soft cloth and some leather dressing. The tear and open corner were covered with a very thin patch of calf from the same dying as the calf for the spine. The book was then rebacked with new leather. Turn-in and endband, showing Japanese paper section repair Board with tear Speckled/marbled calf pattern reproduced on new spine In keeping with books of the period, gold tooling was carried out on the spine and a red leather label attached to replace the lost original. 1. The full title for this book is: The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay: with an account of the establishment of the colonies of Port Jackson & Norfolk Island/compiled from authentic papers which have been obtained from the several departments. To which are added, the journals of Lieuts. Shortland, Watts, Ball & Capt. Marshall with an account of their new discoveries. [Printed] London, [by] John Stockdale Boards with water marks This work was the first of many that were to become known as 'The First Fleet Journals'. Subsequent First Fleet journals were written by John Hunter, Surgeon John White, Judge Advocate David Collins, Lieut Bradley RN, and Captain Watkin Tench