Until the beginning of the 19th century, books were typically sold as blocks of folded
paper with the expectation that the buyer would have a binder sew the folds of paper together
and encase them in a covering. Because of the individual nature of the binding process, the book
owner could determine the amount of expense spent on the cover, including the quality of leather,
the elaborateness of the hand etched design, and the amount of gold leaf.
Beginning around 1815, with the advent of the industrial revolution, partially automated presses
offered publishers the opportunity to bind their own books with covers unique to a particular title.
These publisher’s bindings created a new art form. Designers experimented with various foils, inks,
inlay and onlay materials, as well as embossing and debossing techniques to create spectacular covers
at a cost affordable to most book buyers.
With the increased use of dust jackets and color printing, this era of binding gradually diminished and then
virtually disappeared. In the 1970s – 80s, there was a sudden interest by collectors in these designs and books
with design covers were bought up at garage sales and stolen from the shelves of libraries. Today, many of these
books are now only seen when there is a special exhibition.
Inspired by the craftsmanship of these covers, I began to research how I could recreate a cover reminiscent
of these publisher’s bindings. I spent several months looking at antiquarian book shops, had lengthy discussions
with rare book librarians and book collectors, some of whom had stashed away hundreds of these bindings
thinking that one day there might be a larger public I visited printing museums, read articles, talking
to hand engravers, foil manufacturers, and fabric suppliers. I spoke to custom binders, production binders,
and other book artisans about the techniques and tools they used and the possibility of creating a production run.
Although many were enthusiastic about my interest, some very well-known binders told me that these covers could no
longer be created with the available materials and presses at a reasonable cost.
Since I could find no one in the space between custom book binder and commercial production binder that fit what
I need, I decided to do the research myself, create my own process, and then, once I had a system in place,
find a bindery to implement it. I collected hundreds of samples of cover-materials, foils, headbands, and
literally took apart a number of old books to understand how they were constructed. I learned how to cut book
board, create a text block, (many of these I put a glued binding and high quality paper cover on and sent out
as reading copies), how to press foil, and how to use Adobe Illustrator to create designs that could be rendered
as copper, brass, and magnesium dies.
Once I assembled the materials I began experimenting with materials and processes. I covered the bookboard
with a variety of leathers and clothes that I would carefully position in a hand press and lay on a sheet of
foil. I then heat various copper and brass dies in my kitchen oven until they reached the proper temperature,
carefully placed them on the foil, and turned down the handle of the press until just the right amount of
pressure was applied.
After scores of prototypes, I then found a custom binder to help me finalize the design. Eventually, I had the knowledge
I needed to talk with production binders about what I had in mind. Eventually, I found a small, family run, bindery in
Pennsylvania that was enthusiastic about the project and understood exactly what needed to be done to pull this off.
The hardcover has won several notable binding awards. (If you are interested in a hardcover, send an email
and I will see about a discount.)
First Edition/First Printing
The paperback and hardcover first editions are available by special request. These
mark the starting point of a new author and a unique opportunity to collect something
truly unique. Here is an quote from Bauman Rare Books. We could not have said it
better:
"With every great first edition comes a story--the creative effort that propelled
it into being, the practical logistics which brought it to print, the popular reaction
which either brought it immediate fame or consigned it to obscurity--for a time.
A rare book collector knows that story and appreciates all of the trials and errors,
struggles and successes that brought the book into being. The pleasure of rare book
collecting is not only that we can consider each book for its impact on the world
and its impact on our own lives, but can appreciate, in holding that fragile, rare,
extraordinary first edition copy, all of the random chances that created it, and,
but for the greatest of luck, allowed it to survive."
U.S. Books Covers
New England Book Show Awards
Graphic Arts Association Awards
