LONE STAR Chapter
The LONE STAR Chapter will hold a state-wide Annual Meeting June 3 at BookLab in Austin, Texas. There will be a special viewing of the New Ellsmere Chaucer Facsimile Edition. Co-published by the Huntingdon Library Press and Yushodo Co. Ltd., Booksellers of Japan, it is bound in 15th c.-style wooden boards. A barbecue at the home of Priscilla Spitler will follow the meeting and exhibit. PAT CLARK, of San Antonio, has been nominated for the Presidency of the Lone Star Chapter.
A bookarts fair is planned for the Museum of Art in Austin with all the book organizations in Texas participating.
The MIDWEST Chapter, at its Annual Meeting April 28-30, joined with the Spring Seminar in Graphic Design at the King Library Press in Lexington, Kentucky. Care nHeft, of the Arcadian Press in Racine, Wisconsin gave a lecture on Life at the Arcadian Press, and a workshop on Build a Book: Printing and Binding. Hostess for the meeting was Gabrielle Fox.
The NEW ENGLAND Chapter sponsored a lecture at the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, Massachusetts on May 20 given by Sue Allen, recognized authority on 19th c. American bookbindings. Her topic was "19th Century Publishers Bindings". Ms. Allen is a regular participant at the Rare Book School with her course on 19th c. cloth bookbindings.
The NEW YORK Chapter reports that the Open House at the Watson Library of the Metropolitan Museum of Art was a great success due to Mindy Dubansky and her staff. Among the items shown was the complete Metropolitan Museum of Art Catalogue of Bookbindings that has been compiled by Mindy Dubansky, with the assistance of interns and volunteers, over ten years. It is available by appointment to outside scholars and artists. Also on view was the Janet S. Byrne Boobinding Picture File, consisting of thousands of pictures and descriptions of bookbindings taken from auction catalogues. It includes an index of bookbinders and notable collectors. Contact Mindell Dubansky at the Watson Library (212) 879-5500 ext. 3220 for more information.
The New York chapter sponsored a workshop with Daniel Kelm on April 28-29 at the New York Academy of Medicine. The title was "The Book Restructured: Innovative Hinging". On May 5 they attended an Open House at the American Museum of Natural History Library Conservation Facility and on April 6 they visited TALAS. Both visits were well-attended.
The DELAWARE VALLEY Chapter was engaged in a Paste Paper workshop at the time of the last Executive Committee telephone meeting. It was being held in Claire Owens studio. Claire says they are aiming to have 3 workshops a year. Their June meeting will be held at the Library Company of Philadelphia. The Chapter reports 30 members now.
The POTOMAC Chapters May meeting was a very successful and well-attended demonstration of marbling, given by Linda Hohneke. The June meeting, on the 7th, is a leather workshop with Frank Mowery. The meetings are held at the Folger Shakespeare Library, in Washington, DC. Usually on the first Wednesday of each month, they do not meet during July and August.
Four East Coast chapters, Potomac, Delaware Valley, New York and New England, have been hosts to a group of British binders from the Society of Bookbinders who traveled there this Spring. They arrived first in Washington, DC, on May 9th and, despite jet lag had an active 3 days and nights of area conservation lab tours. They also attended a meeting of the POTOMAC Chapter while here. They traveled on to Philadelphia and New York for another plethora of totally enjoyable tours, all organized in fine fashion by Dan Kelm.