Saturday, September 24, 2016

Buchbinderlehrling in Bernard Middleton's Collection

Spent a wonderful afternoon with Jeff Peachey in Bernard Middleton's Collection in the Cary Graphic Arts Collection at RIT this week. In among the treasures of this incredible collection of all things bookbinding and allied crafts was this copy of the Buchbinderlehrling from 1930. The binding was not signed, and was most likely made either for the annual apprentice bookbinding competition or the apprentice's final exam.

More about the Buchbinderlehrling here.

Habe in dieser Woche einen wunderbaren Nachmittag mit Jeff Peachey in der Bernhard Middleton Sammlung der Cary Graphic Arts Collection von RIT verbracht. Unter den vielen Schätzen der Buchbinde- und Buchkunstliteratur war dieses Exemplar vom Buchbinderlehrling, 1930. Der Einband war nicht signiert, wurde aber in aller Wahrscheinlichkeit für den jährlichen Lehrlingswettbewerb oder die Gesellenprüfung hergestellt.

Mehr über den Buchbinderlehrling hier. 

 
Full leather binding with gilt top edge and gold tooling.
Ganzfranzband mit Goldschnitt und Vergolding.

Detail of the title on front board - The title was constructed using straight line and one curved pallets and gouges.
Detail des Titels auf Vorderdeckel - Der Titel wurde aus Linien und ein Bogen zusammengesetzt.

Title on spine - The left justification didn't work so well and there are other issues.
Titel auf dem Rücken - Linkbündig und Vergoldung sind eher nicht gelungen.

Blurry endpapers with Middleton's bookplate.
Unscharf, aber mit Middletons Exlibris

Friday, August 12, 2016

Frühe Anleitung für Buchbinderarbeiten gerichtet an Laien | Early Introduction to Bookbinding for Amateurs

Ernst Collins erstes Buch war Buchbinderei für den Hausbedarf [1915], eine Anleitung für Laien und Amateure. Obwohl in England recht verbreitet, könnte diese, nach meinen Recherchen, die erste solche Anleitung die zuerst in deutscher Sprache erschienen ist. Douglas Cockerells Bookbinding and the Care of Books, daß auch an Amateure gerichtet war erschien zuerst 1902 in Übersetzung als Der Bucheinband und die Pflege des Buches, und 1925 in einer neuen Ausgabe mit neuer Einleitung von Maria Lühr. 

So dachte ich wenigstens bis ich So fertige ich allerlei Buchbinderarbeiten von Richard Parthum (Heft 24 in der Selbst ist der Mann Serie, Leipzig, [1911]) fand. Dieses kleine Heft ist wie einige der Englischen an Schulkinder, auch in Sonderschulen... gerichtet. Neben der Broschüre beinhaltet es auch einige andere Projekte wie Kästen für Schreibzeug oder Schmuck um den Eltern Freude zu machen. Es kann in ganzen Umfang unten gelesen werden.

Ernst Collins’s first book published was Buchbinderei für den Hausbedarf [1915], a basic bookbinding manual specifically for amateurs. Based on a review of the literature, this is perhaps one of the first such manual written originally in German. Douglas Cockerell’s Bookbinding and the Care of Books first appeared in German as Der Bucheinband und die Pflege des Buches in 1902, with a 1925 edition with new introduction by Maria Lühr.

That's at least what I thought until I discovered So fertige ich allerlei Buchbinderarbeiten by Richard Parthum (Pamphlet 24 in the Selbst ist der Mann series, Leipzig [1911]). This small pamphlet is like many of its English counterparts directed at school children, including those in "special schools." Illustrations and instructions are minimal, but give a good sense of the projects that include portfolios and a variety of boxes for writing implements or jewelry designed to please the parents. The full pamphlet can be viewed at the bottom.

Umschlag | Cover

Mappe mit "Frosch" | Portfolio with expandable pocket

Ziehmappe mit Gestaltingsideen für die Decke | Portfolio with ideas for cover design

Wer kennt noch mehr? | Who knows of more?

Hier die ganze Broschüre zum Lesen...
Here the whole pamphlet for reading



Tuesday, July 26, 2016

The Bone Folder on Jeff Peachey's Blog

Thank you to Jeff Peachey for the opportunity to answer some questions regarding my translation of Ernst Collin's Pressbengel as The Bone Folder.
Peter answered three questions about this project:
1. Why did you call this The Bone Folder?
2. What do you see as the role of tools in this work?
3. Why should someone purchase this limited edition when you have already released a version online for free?




Read my full responses on his blog here.

 And, if you're not following his blog, consider doing so for interesting posts about the history and craft of bookbinding, tools, and more...

 

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Mehr Werbung - Fritz Merker, Berlin

Also recently received this undated postcard from the firm of Fritz Merker in Berlin's fashionable Charlottenburg district. On the card, Merker advertises their services as cutting mats, bookbinding, making portfolios, mounting drawings, and making modern bindings.

Habe auch vor kurzem diese undatierte Postkarte der Firma Fritz Merker aus Berlin-Charlottenburg bekommen auf der als Passepartoutfabrik und Buchbinderei mit allen Diensten der guten Sortimentsbuchbinderei geworben wird.

Schillerstrasse 94


The card was also used to advertise a change of address.

Auf der Karte wurde auch auf eine Adressenänderung hingewiesen.

Knesebeckstraße 80/81

Based on the map on the postcard, it was where the new building is to the right of the pin below.


Friday, July 15, 2016

Bookbinding as Rehabilitation | Buchbinderei als Rehabilitation

Last May I shared a number of articles and other publications related to bookbinding as rehabilitation.  I recently received a postcard from Germany depicting the bookbinding workshop of the Pfeiffersche Anstalten in Magdeburg-Cracau, likely from the time around World War I or thereafter based on fashions... US Senate Document 166 from 1918, Vocational Rehabilitation of Disabled Soldiers and Sailors, mentions a call for support to build a trades-based home for war veterans there from 1915, helping with the dating.

Im letzten Mai teilte ich einige Artikel und andere Herausgebungen zu Thema von Buchbinderei als Rehabilitation. Vor kurzer Zeit bekam ich aus Deutschland eine Postkarte die "Lehrwerkstätten Buchbinderei" der Pfeiffersche Anstalten in Magdeburg-Cracau zeigt. Das Bild entstand um die Zeit des Ersten Weltkriegs oder danach den Moden nach. Ein Bericht des US Senats von 1918, US Senate Document 166, über die berufliche Rehabilitation von verwundeten Soldaten und Matrosen erwähnte die Gründung dieser Anstalt in 1915 was auch mit der Datierung hilft.

Lehrwerkstätten Buchbinderei

The Pfeiffersche Anstalten were also very involved in providing learning opportunities akin to those in todays "sheltered workshops" to a wide range of individuals with special needs from children to the elderly. In addition to the trade-based programs these facilities also offered medical care and therapies appropriate to the needs. Based on an a German article from 2015, after 1933 many became victims of the Nazi's euthanasia  program.

Ein "Blatt" über die Pfeifferische Anstalten war auch stark in der Fuersorge von Kindern, Kriegsinvaliden, und Anderen tätig. Es wurde auch ärztliche Hilfe und Therapie angeboten. In der Zeit nach 1933 wurden die Anstalten dann von dem "Euthanasieprogramm" betroffen.


Saturday, June 11, 2016

The Bone Folder: Prospectus Available

PROSPECTUS FOR
THE BOSS DOG PRESS LIMITED EDITION OF

The Bone Folder
A Dialogue Between
an Aesthetically-Inclined Bibliophile
and a Well-Versed-in-all-Aspects-of-the-Craft Bookbinder

By Ernst Collin

Translation from the German and Introduction by
Peter D. Verheyen

Illustrated with photographic images by
John (Hans) Schiff


Download the full prospectus in PDF form here,
write to the Boss Dog Press to request a printed copy,
or see the Press' site for more information.


The Boss Dog Press is very pleased to present this prospectus for its most ambitious project to date: a handpress edition of Ernst Collin’s didactic dialogue about bookbinding entitled The Bone Folder. Originally published as Der Pressbengel in Berlin in 1922, it was first translated into English by Peter Verheyen beginning in 2008, and published in the Guild of Book Workers’ Journal in 2009. Peter later made it available online as a PDF through this Pressbengel Project blog.

Prior to its commitment to undertake the Bone Folder project, the Press had been granted access to a series of photographic negatives and contact sheets of the hand bookbinding process which had been taken in Germany in the late 1920’s or 1930’s. The photographer, Hans Schiff, fled Germany and spent the rest of his professional photographic career in New York City working as John Schiff. During discussions between Peter Verheyen and Don Rash about the design of this edition, the fact that the Schiff photographs were roughly contemporary in both time and location to the text led to the realization that they would be the perfect illustrations for the book. The Press is deeply indebted to Sibylle Fraser for allowing the use of these photographs.

These photographic images come from a collection of 34 negatives taken by Hans Schiff sometime after 1920, and document the pulling (taking apart) and rebinding a copy of the Bremer Presse Faust with that date on the spine.

Proof of images for book. More here.

An image was chosen to accompany each of the six days’ dialogues. The photographs do not necessarily relate directly to each daily subject; rather, they illuminate the progressive nature of the hand binding process. The images are presented at their original size of 110mm by 80mm and include the edges of the negatives. In addition to the six primary images there is a portrait of the young Hans Schiff. Unfortunately there do not seem to be any extant pictures of the author, Ernst Collin. The photograph used for this prospectus is an additional image not used in the book. The photographs have been scanned and digitally printed onto Canson Rag Photographique paper by Light Works, a non-profit photography organization based at Syracuse University.

About the Edition
As with the previous Boss Dog Press titles, The Bone Folder will be printed on our Morgans & Wilcox Washington handpress. The edition will consist of 120 copies, with 100 copies available for purchase. The paper for the book will be mouldmade Hahnemühle Biblio, chosen to show the digital Monotype Walbaum type to best advantage. Typesetting has been done here at the Press using Adobe InDesign, and plate processing will be provided by Boxcar Press of Syracuse, New York. The titling font is the second iteration of the Boss Dog Press FritzGotische, a fraktur face created by Don Rash in memory of the late Fritz Eberhardt, calligrapher and bookbinder extraordinaire. The page size is 9” x 12”, and echoes the 3:4 proportions of the seven tipped-in photographs. The frontispiece is a facsimile of the original 1922 Pressbengel title page, printed letterpress. This prospectus is presented in the same format and materials as the edition in order to give interested parties an idea of the look and feel of the finished books.

About the Bindings
Of the 100 copies for sale, 54 will be case bound in full pastepaper over boards and will be distinguished by Arabic numeration (1-54). The case bound copies will be hand sewn over linen tapes with sewn-on endpaper sections for durability and strength. Titling for these books has yet to be decided. There will be 26 copies (A-Z) bound in quarter leather with pastepaper boards, titled in gold on the spines. The leather bound copies will be hand sewn over flat cords, with which the boards will be attached; the sewn-on endpaper sections will have leather inner hinges. All of the 80 bound copies will be housed in pastepaper covered slipcases. The remaining 20 copies will be offered in signatures for bookbinders and will receive Roman numeration (I-XX).

The edition in production. More images here.

Prices and Ordering
Prices for The Bone Folder are as follows:
  • Unbound copies: $300
  • Paper case copies: $450
  • Quarter bound copies: $600

All books will be shipped via Priority Mail for $15. Standing order customers receive the usual 20% discount plus free shipping; dealers receive 30% discount. Orders may be made using the included order form; by emailing bossdogpress@donrashfinebookbinder.com; or by phoning 1-570- 239-8643. The Press accepts checks, credit cards and PayPal to bossdogpress@donrashfinebookbinder.com.

Download the full prospectus in PDF form here,
write to the Boss Dog Press to request a printed copy,
or see the Press' site for more information.



The Boss Dog Press is online here.

Monday, June 6, 2016

Die Collins / The Collins Online!

Die Collins | The Collins

Geschichte und Bibliographie | History and Bibliography

 

Arbeit an der Geschichte von W. Collin und der Bibliographie der Schriften von Ernst ist jetzt auf Deutsch und Englisch abgeschlossen. Die bibliographische Aufzeichnung von Ernst Collins Schriften ist auch auf diesem Blog (oben) einsehbar mit Link zu einer Tabelle die zu digitalisierten Versionen bei HathiTrust von vielen der Schriften führt. 

Die Collins: W. Collin, Hofbuchbinder & Ernst Collin, der Autor des Pressbengels (126 Seiten, 60+MB, https://works.bepress.com/peter_verheyen/46/download). 

Work on the history of W. Collin and bibliography of the writings of Ernst has been completed in German and English. The bibliographical listing of Ernst Collins writings found to date is available on this blog (above), with link to a spreadsheet linking to HathiTrust and other sources.

The Collins: W. Collin, Court Bookbinders & Ernst Collin, the Author of the Pressbengel (126 pp, 60+MB, https://works.bepress.com/peter_verheyen/45/download).

Deutsch

Die Collins: W. Collin, Hofbuchbinder & Ernst Collin, der Autor des  Pressbengels
Hier zum Download
https://works.bepress.com/peter_verheyen/46/download

English

The Collins: W. Collin, Court Bookbinders & Ernst Collin, the Author of the Pressbengel
Click to Download
https://works.bepress.com/peter_verheyen/45/download