Books
Two publications now available from AIC:
Preservation of Collections: Assessment, Evaluation, and
Mitigation Strategies includes 11 papers to be presented at
a national workshop held in Norfolk, Virginia on June 10-11, 1996,
on topics such as preservation needs for small and large museums,
environmental standards, monitoring of contaminants, etc.. 75 pp,
$10/members, $15/nonmembers (plus $3 p&h).
The 1996 AIC Abstracts contains abstracts for more than 125 papers to be presented at AIC's 24th annual meeting in Norfolk, June 11-16. 126 pp; $10/members, $15/nonmembers (+ $3 p&h), from AIC, 1717k Street, nw, Ste. 301, Washington DC 20006; tel: 202/452-9545; fax: 452-9328; e-mail: vnyaic@aol.com Orders must be prepaid by check or m.o. made out to AIC, in U.S. dollars.
Also available from AIC is their publication, AIC Definitions of Conservation Terminology, which are based on and updated from those found in the AIC Bylaws, the AIC Fact Sheet, the Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice, and from terminology published by related groups. These definitions reflect an evolution of our profession and the multitude of preservation-related activities for which the conservation profession is now responsible. Contact them at the address above for copies.
The Century of Artists' Books by Johanna Drucker, the first full length study of the development of artists' books as a twentieth century artform. Available by mail for $35, plus $6 p&h (NY residents add $2.89 tax) from Granary Books, 568 Broadway, #403, NY, NY 10012. tel: 212/226-5462.
Oak Knoll Books & Oak Knoll Press (414 Delaware St., New Castle, DE 19720)
has two new publications:
A revised edition of S.H. Steinberg's Five Hundred Years of Printing, 1996,
hardcover, over 100 new illus., 272 pp. $45; order # 43776. Paperback:
$29.95; order #43777.
Reprint of Geoffrey Ashall Glaister's Encyclopedia of the Book, hardcover,
1996, 567 pp. $75; order # 42509. Paperback: $49.95; order # 42510.
Johann Gutenberg: The Man and his Invention by Albert Kapr, translated by Douglas Martin, 1996, Scolar Press (Old Post Rd., Brookfield, VT 05036-9704; tel: 800/535-9544, or 802/276-3162; fax: 802/276-3837: e-mail inquiries: AshgatePub@aol.com 320 pp, illus., cloth, $45.
Catalogs
Designer Bookbinders' Tregaskis Centenary Exhibition Catalogue, 1996, 108
pp., sewn paperback, 160 colored illus. £38, £3.00 extra for overseas p&h.
Mastercard/Visa/Delta cards accepted. Send to: Lester Bath, 3 Lon Groes,
Llanllechid, Bangor, Gwynedd, ll57 3eu, Wales.
Periodical Abstracts
All periodicals abstracted in this Newsletter can be borrowed from the Guild Library at the University of Iowa for the price of the return postage. Contact Pam Spitzmueller to borrow periodicals, books and video tapes.
The Abbey Newsletter, Vol. 19 #5, November 1995
(issued 8 times a year, Ellen McCrady, ed., tel: 512/929-3992, fax: 929-3995, e-mail:
Abbeysub-@aol.com).
This issue devoted mostly to the issue of copyright vs
fair use. Our own Karen Crisalli is credited with organizing a monthly
"Bookbinders' Chat" on America Online. You can contact her at KarenC5071 to
get on the list. Also upcoming educational seminars and courses and www
home pages.
The Abbey Newsletter, Vol. 19 #6-7, December 1995.
Contains articles: 'Indoor Environment Standards: A Report on the NYU Symposium' by Ellen
McCrady is devoted to the controversy generated last August, stating that
museum objects can tolerate wide swings in temperature and relative
humidity, and 'Paprican's Dry Deacidification Method'. Reprints of 'NARA
Advises Federal Agencies on Selecting Long-Lived Paper' and MLA's statement
on the significance of primary records.
Association of Book Crafts (New Zealand) Inc., (materials/library- John
Samson, 4 Alnack Place, Torbay, Auckland 1310, correspondence- 22 Marama
Ave, Epsom, Auckland 1003).
We have received their Sept/Oct and Nov/Dec 1995 issues, and Jan/Feb 1996, which contains part 1 of a 3 part article on the manufacturing of leather. Pt. 2 of the same article appears in the March/April issue, which also announces a book clinic to be held last April by Claire Van Vliet, who held workshops in New Zealand sometime last year and was again visiting there. The New Zealand Guild is very active but news of their activities comes to us too late for anyone planning a visit. If you will be going to Australia and NZ., there are several groups to contact for bookbinding activity. (See Morocco Bound as well.)
Binders' Guild Newsletter, Vol. XVIII #7, October 1995. (Editor, Jim
Dorsey, 9229 Dukes Lake Rd., Zebulon, NC 27597, 919/365-3800).
Contains a description of the various leathers used in bookbinding: sheepskin, basil,
skiver roam, parchment, calf, vellum, forel, cape, crushed morocco, levant,
niger, persian, pigskin, russian, seat, etc.; 8-page article on "Washing,
Deacidifying and Resizing Paper"; and "Long- and Link-Stitch Bindings with
Pamela Spitzmueller".
Binders' Guild Newsletter, Vol. XVIII #8, December 1995.
Contains reprint of article on the transport for rare books and manuscripts; articles on "Baiting the Acorn: Early Publishing in America", by Olga Rothschild; "The Hand of the Poet: Original Manuscripts by 100 Masters, Pt. I: John Donne to
T.S. Eliot", historical account of 17th-19th century works and authors.
Binders' Guild Newsletter, Vol. XIX #1, January 1996.
Contains full write-up, with comments by Jim Dorsey, of Elaine Schlefer's presentation at the Tuscaloosa Seminar last fall on book conservation methods developed while working with Carolyn Horton, including vellum stretching, a post
binding structure, humidification of flat paper, reattachment of leather
boards, a quick pamphlet binding, a method of sewing oversize single
sheets, and paperpulp mending by hand - a useful write-up whether you
attended the session or not.
Binders' Guild Newsletter, Vol. XIX #2, March 1996.
Reviews Rob Shepherd's Hand-Made Books: An Introduction to Bookbinding (available from
Bookbinder's Warehouse) and Book Repair Manual by Robert J. Milevski, which
was published by the Illinois Cooperative Conservation Program several
years ago, although still available from BookMakers. Binders' Guild gives
in-depth reviews.
Bookbinder, (Journal of the Society of Bookbinders) Vol. 9, 1995.
(published annually, Soc. of Bookbinders, Gina Isaac, Hon. Secy., Lower
Hammonds Farm, Ripley Lane, West Horseley, Sussex kt24 6jp, UK).
Beautifully illustrated journal containing such short articles as: "An
Amateur Bookbinder's Tale" by Ron Clarke, "An Introduction to Bound Account
Books" by Tony Ward, "Paper: Some of it Varieties" by Arthur W. Johnson,
"The Reattachment of Covers on Tight-back Bindings" by Robert Sheehy, "1995
Competition" by Jill Sellars, "British 19th Century Papers: A Brief Account
of the Manufacturing Process and the Chemicals Used" by Chris Laver-Gibby.
Also an interesting narrative by Maureen Duke on her experiences learning
and teaching in Romania.
The Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild Newsletter, Vol. 13
#4/Winter 1995, (free to members 4 times a year, back issues available from
the editor, $5/copy. Write: CBBAG, 35 McCaul St., Suite 221, Toronto, Ont.
m5t 1v7, Canada.)
Contains article: "Putting Down Endpapers" by Arthur W. Johnson, which discusses wet & dry methods and the importance of selecting the right adhesives and paper. Also includes the first 12 pages of a 48-page exhibition catalog, "Boxed In", which will come in four
installments, the final one in August. The exhibition was held at the
Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library October 7 to November 3, 1995.
The Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild Newsletter, Vol. 14
#1/Spring 1996.
Contains an article, "Screws & Presses" by Dr. Brian A.
Roberts. Includes the second installment of the catalog "Boxed In", an
exhibition of boxes, books in boxes and box objects. All illustrations in
black & white.
Designer Bookbinders Newsletter, No. 92, Autumn 1995. (Designer
Bookbinders, 6 Queen Square, London wc1n 3ar, UK)
Contains an international calendar of events and notice of the 1996 Bookbinding Competition.
Designer Bookbinders Newsletter, No. 93, Winter 1995.
Mentions DB meetings in Edinburgh in September and a tour of a tannery.
Designer Bookbinders Newsletter, No. 94, Spring 1996.
Announces the Autumn Meeting 1996 which will be tours of The Rampant Lions Press, near Cambridge, and The Keatley Trust Collection of Twentieth Century Fine
Bindings at Melbourne, near Royston, Herts. Contains reports on three DB
Lectures: "Calligrapher and Bookbinder" given by Pat Russell and Ivor
Robinson; "What Is It That Makes a Book Sing?", given by Nicholas McDowall;
and "Materal Matters" given by Melvyn Jefferson & Stuart Welch.
"Bookbinding on the Internet" by Chris Partridge, on what's going on the
Internet in England. A report by Bernard Middleton on a display of
Twentieth Century Bindings from the Wardington Collection at the King's
Library. The books are Bibles and Atlases and were bound by well-known
binders. A review of Binder Vision Video 4 by Jeff Clements, the subject is
Edgar Mansfield and James Brockman, who worked together on a project that
took eight years. Clements has reservations about the video and its makers,
but high praise for having Mansfield on video at last.
Hand Papermaking, Vol. 10 #2, Winter 1995. (Hand Papermaking, Box 77027,
Washington DC 20013-7027, 800/821-6604 or 301/699-3143)
Contains several illustrated articles on oriental papermaking: "My View of the Root of Papermaking in Chang'an" by Li Fang, "A Trip to Korea" by Dan Fletcher
(with tipped-in samples) and "Traditional Values in Indian Handmade Paper"
by Dorothy Fields.
Morocco Bound: Journal of the Craft Bookbinders, November 1995, Vol. 16 #4
(quarterly, Ed. John R. Newland, NSW Guild of Craft Bookbinders, P.O. Box
1110, Rozelle, NSW 2039, Australia, annual membership $30. )
Contains article: "The Development of Book Structure", by Daphne Dobbyn, about the
history of bookbinding from clay tablets to parchment to the present.
"Refurbishing Old Books" by June McNicol, which gives hints on repair and
treatment of bookcloths, rubbed marbled paper and disguising gold edges.
"Yet Another Box" by Adrienne Allen, a short illustration on a non-adhesive
folded method of construction.
The New Bookbinder: Journal of Designer Bookbinders, Vol. 15, 1995.
(published annually by Designer Bookbinders, 6 Queen Square, London wc1n
3ar, England).
A must-read, it contains several illustrated articles, such
as: "Design, A Changing Concept" by Jeff Clements; "Re-Thinking the Rigid
Spine" by James Brockman, with photographs illustrating the main process;
"Twenty-one Case Binding and Five Experimental Books" by Ivor Robinson; and
"Fine Binding in Australia" by Roberta Johnstone, with photos of works by
such designer binders as June McNicol, John Tonkin, Daphne Lera and Wayne
Stock, to name just a few; and "Containing Bindings" by Angela James, with
photos of a variety of containers.
Paper Conservation News, Vol. 76, December 1995. (Quarterly newsletter of
the Institute of Paper Conservation, Leigh Lodge, Leigh, Worcester wr6 5lb,
UK)
Contains articles: "IPC Paper-Splitting Seminar", a report by Elizabeth
Sobczynski & Krystyna Koscia of a hands-on class at the Tate Gallery,
London, in September 1995 taught by Prof. Jozef Charytoniuk of Warsaw
Academy of Fine Arts. Paper splitting can be documented as far back as the
late 1840's & 50's, possibly practiced in London and Paris and later in
Austria. "Surface Cleaning Products and Their Effects on Paper" by
Phillippa Sterlini reporting research in using different types of cleaning
erasers to remove surface dirt from later 19th c. architectural drawings.
"The Treatment of Flood-Damaged Photographic Materials at the Perth Museum
and Art Gallery, Scotland" by Christopher Havey, and "Strengthening a Weak
and Worn Board Attachment: A Case History" by Edward Simpson.
Printing History: Journal of the American Printing History Association,
Vol. XVI #1 & 2, 1994. (printed twice a year, all correspondence to: David
Pankow, Gary Graphic Arts Collections, Rochester Institute of Technology,
90 Lomb Memorial Dr., Rochester, NY 14623-5604).
This issue is devoted to biographical sketches of such noted type designers as George W. Jones, Linn Boyd Benton, Morris Fuller Benton, Victor Hammer and Starling Burgess.
Printing History: Journal of the American Printing History Association,
Vol. XVII, #1, 1995 (33).
Contains: "Twenty Years After", an article by
Terry Belanger on the 20th anniversary of apha; "The Art Preservative: From
the History of the Book Back to Printing History" by Michael Winship; "John
Mycall - The Ingenious Typographer of Newburyport" by Marcus A. McCorison;
"The Temper of the Present" by W. Thomas Taylor. Book reviews of Maurice
Annenberg's Type Foundries of America and Their Catalogs by Barbara Henry,
and Roger Levenson's Women in Printing: Northern California, 1857-1890 by
Kathleen A. Walkup.
Small Press Center News: For Independent Publishers and Readers, Fall 1995
(50 w. 44th St., New York NY 10036).
Contains a report on the 8th annual Small Press Book Fair held in Manhattan in September 1995, which attracted 2,000 visitors. In 1996 it will be held in late September. Contact them for information.
Society of Bookbinders Newsletter, December 1995.
Contains a report on Alan Parker's visit to the Bibliotheca Wittockiana in Brussels, and an article, "Bookbinding as an Art and an Industry", reproduced from an
article in the American Bookmaker, November 1888.
WAAC Newsletter, Vol. 18 #1, January 1996 (Western Assoc. for Art
Conservation, published 3 times a year. Ed. Carolyn Tallent, 310/453-1834)
Mostly devoted to illustrated article, "Zeolite Molecular Traps and Their
Use in Preventative Conservation", by Siegfried Rempel, which deals with
archival paperboards incorporating a MicroChamber technology for
conservation matting and mounting products.