Big River Bindery in Atlanta, Georgia is pleased to present a workshop on

Pierced Vellum Binding 

with guest instructor James Reid-Cunningham

Vellum stiffboard bindings were common from the 16th to the 19th centuries throughout Europe. This course will explore a hybrid modern structure utilizing historical elements found in early versions of the vellum stiffboard binding, but with flexible joints that create less stress. This binding is sturdy and elegant, takes gold tooling well and is suitable for conservation re-bindings as well as for presentation and design bindings. Using this structure, students will create modern versions of the 17th century pierced vellum binding, with the design created by utilizing a punctured vellum cover revealing decoration on the boards beneath. This course will cover: lining vellum, fabricating and decorating the boards; constructing a stiffboard case; creating a pierced vellum design; and covering in vellum.

Historical examples of pierced vellum bindings can be seen at:

http://www.reid-cunningham.com/piercedvellumbin.html

And some of the instructor's:

http://www.reid-cunningham.com/piercedvellumbia.html

Instructor biography:

James Reid-Cunningham studied bookbinding with Mark Esser at the North Bennet Street School and received the distinguished alumni award from NBSS in 2006. He spent thirty years as a conservator at Harvard University and the Boston Athenaeum, and served as the President of the Guild of Book Workers from 2006 to 2010. From 2009 to 2013, he was the adjunct lecturer on book conservation in the graduate art conservation department at Buffalo State College. He is a bookbinder and conservator in private practice in Cambridge, MA. His website is www.reid-cunningham.com.

Friday to Sunday, April 20 – 22, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, with an hour lunch

$300 registration and $50 materials fee

To register and for more information, see http://bigriverbindery.com/workshops/