Fritz Otto Working On A Binding

Decided to pull out the old, analog Pentax again to put Fritz Otto in front of the lens ... Can you guess what kind of binding he's working on?

Folding the endpapers.

Rough-cutting the endpapers to size.
His cutting mat has a backstop to use with a triangle or "L" square
to ensure the cuts are square. The one I use in real life can be seen here.

Tipping the endpapers on to some old text blocks that were in the studio.

Trimming the endpapers flush with the text block

Sewing the endpapers onto the tapes that were there.

Lining the spine.

Gluing on the endbands. These are traditionally glued on ...

Ready to start on the distinguishing features of this binding technique.

You can see more images of Fritz Otto at work on these bindings on his Insta, @FritzOttoBuchbinder. There are four posts in this series so far ...

So, anyone want to guess the technique? Add in the comments.

Bradel Following Denninger

A few years ago, the Stichting Handboekbinden posted the availability in sheets of Johann Denninger's De Bradelbinding (The Bradel Binding), also here. The New Bookbinder (1996) had published what I consider an abridged version with some history of the structure and something about this Bradel ... Like the article, this book started off with a lot of "according to" history, before going into the step-by-step instructions for what ends up as a hybrid historical/old school Pappband/Edelpappband, the latter so called because of the corner and head/tail reinforcements in parchment or leather, something that was first described in the literature around 1905. I describe the history of the Pappband structure, including a review of the literature and step-by-step instructions for the Ur-form in a 3-post series starting here.

But, back to Denninger ... I rarely follow instructions from a manual when binding it, but decided to in this case. The text is in Dutch, but I could get the gist of most from the illustration and my German/English Denglish. For those parts I couldn't figure out, I took screen grabs from the PDF available at the link above, then using Google Lens to translate the image. Then copy and paste into a Word ... document.

Making the endsheet section: this is a fairly standard historical
endsheet consisting of a double-folio text-like paper to which a
"decorative" folio is adhered resulting in a "made" endsheet(the schutblad). A 
single waste-sheet is hooked around this. You'll 
see why in later steps. 

The signatures were then rough cut. The top edge will get ploughed later

A template ensures that all the sewing holes line up ...

I sewed on three untwisted and frayed out cords, so like tapes, but ...

With the sewing done, the endsheet section was narrowly tipped-on
the adjacent signature, then the spine was glued up nice and square.

After rounding and backing to 45° at the shoulder with my "kashtoir",
I lined the spine with muslin between the sewing stations.

Then, I used my fray shield to clean up and untwist ... the strands
of the cords so that they were nice and clean ...

Next, I applied paste along the spine edge of the waste-sheet
and to the cord, neatly fanning them out and smoothing with a
folder so they weren't lumpy ... (Read image from right to left) 

When dry ..., I ploughed the top edge. Then, I applied a nice rolled
endband, I made mine of leather, and line the spine from end to end. 
 A simple one on, two off hollow was also suggested as an option,
but I went with just a simple paper lining as this is a very small volume.

Denninger then suggested a "gebrochener Rücken", scroll down here, the quintessential
hallmark of this style, or this little piece that was the width of the spine +
2x the slope of the shoulder. I had only seen this in connection with the
"Danish millimeter" binding, but gave it a try.

The edges were pared, then the over-long piece was adhered only
at the shoulder. Then, the boards were attached to the waste-sheet
adjacent to the shoulder. Glue should only go just beyond the fanned-out cords.

In keeping with the style, I made dainty little leather corners/tips.

Then I added the head and tail leather edging, when dry, I reduced
by paring the leather, and then sanded carefully so the transition
would be almost imperceptible.

Important, I also tore off the waste sheet so that it was nicely feathered 
out, and then sanded it so that it was all smooth. That way, the fanned-out
cords don't show through under the pastedown.

The same was done with the corners. They will be "invisible" 
when the cover is viewed board-on, and almost invisible on
the turn-ins.

Here, head [and tail] after covering.
After covering and making the turn-ins, I trimmed out the verso
of the board, so it was all neat and tidy.

And the corners from the inside showing the turn-in.

Finally, the overall. I made the oil-marbled paper in 2019. It was my
introduction to marbling in 1984, and 2019 was the first time in over
30 years ... The title is a laser printed recessed label with an edge,
something I learned from Bill Minter when I worked for him a
l.o.n.g. time ago. I describe how to here.

All-in-all, an interesting exercise and fun excuse to get back into binding after an extended absence.

This also ties in well with something I'm working on regarding the evolution of the Pappband/Bradel into the Edelppband, and now this thing called a Sandgren Binding. Nomenclature is important, but gets VERY messy with multiple languages and "creation myths".

So That Up Is Up

In a world that is verSPINnert, ahem spinning, it's important to tell up from down, right from wrong, ... So too in bookbinding. That's why I, @FritzOttoBuchbinder, always put an up arrow on the end sheet indicating up, and a "V" for vorne (front). Helps prevent confusion and casing-in upsidedown. Of course, that NEVER happens to me. 🤔🙄😮‍💨

Dog Chew Cod Parchment

As many will know, fish skin for bookbinding, whether as parchment and tanned has long been an area of interest for me. This interest was sparked by several articles on the subject by Ernst Collin and others largely during Germany's Weimar era. The 2020 Fish Skin Bind-O-Rama was a sort of culmination of my efforts to bring attention to this material, but more so I am very pleased to see binders and book artists still working in the material, in particular Karen Hanmer and Debra Frances.

Some time ago I was given a package of Icelandic cod doggie chew snacks by a friend. Those chews looked gnarly and I wondered if they could be processed into parchment or leather, you know, as an experiment and proof of concept.

Dentley's "Exotics" Icelandic Cod Skins

These things are big at 18 inches, so I needed some help holding
them upright. Note how they are folded/rolled up. 

The third skin in the pack. Keeping this "as is" as a sample and control.
Side "A"

Side "B"

So, as one can see, they're big and folded/rolled up lengthwise. Also rock-hard and in need of serious cleaning and scaling.

First step was to [re]hydrate so I could unfold ... and get them into a quart-sized Mason jar. Plugged the kitchen sink and into the first bath of COLD water with isopropyl and strong dish detergent. Surprisingly, that worked so that after about an hour they could be pulled flat and pushed into the jar. 

Soaking in isopropyl, dish detergent, and COLD water.
This went into the fridge with several changes of water and
dish detergent, accompanied by massaging to help loosen the fibers,
and starting to scrape away flesh, fat, and other stuff. Lots to do there ...

Next was descaling. "Shinies" EVERYWHERE in the kitchen.
"Shinies" was coined by one of the youngest fish skin binders.
In the end I didn't do as good a job as I thought. 🙄

Finally, the skins were stretched out to dry.

Evident on the lower one are parallel lines from something between being caught and dried for packaging. Both skins also have areas where the skin was chewed up. This makes for very gnarly look. I may well use the top one. Would be a shame not to after all that work.

As I was going through all this I googled for these fishy dog chews. Cod and haddock seem most common, with both available in different sizes and shapes, e.g. dainty rolls for that favorite "tea cup" dog. The steps are essentially the same as with fresh caught fish, but this is much easier to store. Maybe these could be good for more basic workshops where skinning a fish, or cleaning a fresh skin is to messy and gross in the eyes of the participants. Simply soak and rehydrate first, then let they have fun scaping and stretching out or tanning.

Though he said he was sick of this fishy business, Fritz Otto snuck off and processed his own cod too ... Probably won't use it, but makes a splendid Dekoobjekt / objet décoratif.

Presentation Stand and Box - A reintroduction to paring, stamping, and creativity

In the beginning, there was a library conservation lecture series. I led that series for the first 8 years, something that was a terrific opportunity to introduce leaders in the field to Syracuse to present a lecture and lead a workshop. April 2nd marked the 20th event, so time to give a special gift to the donor. As a metaphor for the series, a beautiful hand-crafted and decorated bone folder made by Shanna Leino was selected. My part of the gift was a custom display stand and box.

For me, the scale of this project and the tools and techniques applied were in many respects the ideal re-entry to creative bench work, something I haven't really done any of in over 2 years for a variety of reasons. As a recent retiree, this will [hopefully] be a start to much more of this kind of work.

The materials and initial idea.

Fritz Otto documenting my first efforts paring leather and
reacquainting myself with my first "Schärf-fix, purchased
1987 in Ascona, CH. Haven't used it almost 2 decades as
I had a new one, now sold to a NBSS alum.
Note to self: the hind quarters of old leather are not the best 
re-entry into paring. 🙄

The closed box.

The box opened showing folder and label.
Also my first time using my Quikprint in a l.o.n.g. time.
I can live with it, but there's room for improvement.
My body works differently now, time to adapt to it ... 🙄

The folder is held in place with parchment tackets and sits
on a raised, stained wood pedestal.

Zooming in ...

And, zooming in some more to show the pedestal.

And here at the presentation with
Joan Brodsky and Syracuse University's Chancellor, Kent Syverud.

Studio Maintenance

It's scary when the hired help has a tidier studio than the "Meister" ... I better clean up my own studio before I start any projects, it's not like I don't have any spare time in retirement. 😂

Yikes!

It's important to know what can be found where ...

The "Meister des Besens"
(Master of the broom, aka sweeping ...)

Sweeping well was a skill best learned early in ones apprenticeship,
and one that would pay a lifetime of dividends.

(Carpentry apprentice being shown door in case there
were complaints. Outside, "replacements" looking for an apprenticeship.)

3 + 25 Years and 7 Months - Retirement from Syracuse University Libraries

On July 1st, 1995, I began my career at Syracuse University Libraries. To me, it began as the ultimate work-study job because, 1) I was hired as a librarian while working on my degree at the university's School of Information Studies, and 2) I was able to establish the library's first conservation lab for special collections materials on a two-year grant. That worked out well, because it would take me 2 years to complete my degree. My long term goal was to become a preservation librarian/administrator somewhere, something that would allow me to combine my experiences with both circulating and special collections, as well the then still semi-nascent digitization. I became fascinated with the possibilities of digitization while working at Yale and Cornell. 

Conservation work was centered on the Library's Leopold von Ranke Collection. 400 unidentified books to conserve and 1000 enclosures to make. Coming from a background of item-level collection conservation treatment surveys and having nothing to go on, I got to work identifying treatment needs. the collection was an interesting one as was gathered by Leopold von Ranke, [the] father of modern history, included all subjects, and was brought to Syracuse as the University's first library. It only became a special collection later. So, much to do, to which were added heavily used items from class presentations, and other sources.

Although classed as a librarian, I was not eligible for the "promotion and tenure process" as I was grant funded. Not really an issue for two or three years, but long term I wanted more. The "labor" associated with that process – publication, presentation, service, ... – were things I enjoyed anyway.

1997 Preservation Staff

Two years became three when I was moved to year-to-year funding, but then there were questions about where the money would come from. This was not exactly what one wants to hear after purchasing a house and having a child ... So, time to think fast. Fortunately, I had developed contacts and relationships with people at Gaylord Brothers, a large library and archival supplier, based here in Syracuse. I was grateful that they hired me as the archival product manager in July of 1998. I had never worked in a corporate environment, but also rarely turned down a challenge. My experiences and contacts in the conservation and preservation fields that provided me with a certain credibility at Gaylord so I was able to develop several new products and modify others to better meet the needs of the field. I was also able to see where Gaylord's competitors aligned and diverged from "us" in terms of products. As a bonus, I was also the face and voice of the Gaylord Help Line, a service that anyone could call into to ask questions about caring for their artifacts ... That was eye-opening. Ultimately the corporate environment was not something I was interested in remaining in for a number of reasons, and when I saw my old job at Syracuse reposted I applied, successfully. Over time, however, I realized how much I learned in that year at Gaylord. On my first day back, I removed the thick layer of dust that was everywhere, turned on my computer, and logged in to find everything like I had never left a year earlier.

A 1994ish box-making [and more] workshop shortly before my arrival.
The gentleman watching was the Director of the library, David Stam
who was a past director of the Newberry where he hired John Dean,
my first mentor, then Director at Johns Hopkins where I met John Dean
who had followed him there. John was also my manager at Cornell. Marty Hanson
was Head of Preservation at Syracuse, and we met when she was a preservation intern
at Cornell.

Another view from the same workshop.

I was able to bring the Guild of Book Workers' New England Chapter
Created Space exhibition to Syracuse in 1995.
Here I am holding one of my 3 bindings from the exhibition.

When I came back in July 1999, Peter Graham was the new Director and my reporting line had changed from Preservation to Special Collections. I still loved working at the bench and continued my involvements, including in the wider field. Here some articles from the university's publications:

• Interviewed for the "Staff Matters" section of the Syracuse Record in an article entitled "PV keeps SU Library's Books in Good Shape." April 16, 2001.
• Interviewed for the "Staff Circle" section of the Syracuse University Alumni Magazine in an article entitled "Preserving Special Collections." Spring 2000.

My staff continued to consist of work-study students largely drawn from the 1st year art foundation courses I gave book arts instruction sessions too Even if not working in the lab, students would visit to consult on projects and make use of equipment and supplies. They loved the offcuts. Among the students working in the lab, standouts were Alex who helped me treat the Nuremberg Chronicle and didn't panic when I had to tend to a donor while she continued the washing process, Ken who loved making clamshell boxes and was incredibly fast, and good, Greg who was interested in the book as an object, was curious, experimental, and engaged in his printmaking community. There were many others as well. Ultimately, I needed experienced help. That person was Donia Conn, a U Texas trained conservator. Though I had to "fight" to be able to hire her, she was hands down the best person I ever worked with, something that was acknowledged by the Director when she moved on - we couldn't offer her the librarian rank, and promotion process eligibility she more than deserved.

During a discussion with the director who had become my manager, I was asked about frustrations ... I mentioned not being eligible for the promotion process as I was still on grant funds. The outcome of that meeting was: done, you are now a senior assistant librarian, you will stand for promotion in 3 years (the up or out kind), don't mess it up. Confident, I was not too concerned ... The biggest hurdle came when I asked for some guidance on the process and was told that "no one knows what you do around here ..." They were serious, and I was gob smacked I was sometimes chastised for "over sharing" the work done in the lab and via exhibits... Oh well, through the book at them, starting with when I entered the profession as a work study student. Keep clippings ... in folders, and updating one's CV made that easier. As seemed appropriate for a trained bookbinder, I bound it all as one volume not knowing how difficult that made it to review. However, it worked... Donia quickly "took over" the lab and I focused on complex treatments and the library's first digitization projects. This gradual shift in responsibilities allowed me to accommodate my increasing mobility issues in a proactive way.

In 2008, I was promoted to Head of Preservation and Conservation. This involved merging the circulating and special collections repair and conservation efforts (though still separated by 6 floors), managing the budget and state grant. I also expanded preservation efforts to expand audio reformatting. I was also promoted to full librarian, the highest rank, a nice honor. 

Sewing a book during a "promotional" photo shoot in 2001.

Demonstrating binding and showing decorated papers at an open house.
I really enjoyed sharing what we do.

Two times I even got to be a book in the Library's Human Library event.
A nice way to meet new people and talk the work I do.

Significant highlights were creating and managing the Brodsky Series for the Advancement of Library Conservation, a series that brought noted speakers and workshop presenters to the Syracuse University Library. I did this from 2005 to 2012, was very proud to have John Dean start and frame the scope of the series, and I am glad the series is still ongoing. Significant to the series were sharing the recordings of the lecture online before that was "a thing" and offering 2- and 1-day that attracted not only conservation and preservation professionals, but also students at the University. 

With John Dean at the inaugural Brodsky Series lecture.

The series, and later Gaylord Brothers (I maintained good relations with people there, and they provided us with a lot of preservation materials) also helped fund internships, independent studies, and work-study opportunities for students in all areas of its operations including reference services, bookbinding, conservation, book arts, and collection surveys. I was also able to fill in for a colleague in the College of Visual and Performing Arts by teaching her book arts class while she was on leave. Teaching, hosting, and mentoring interns was one of the most rewarding things I was able to do.

Occasionally, we'd even make it into the student paper. Here is an excerpt from "Beyond the bookshelves: Syracuse library staff works hard at Bird Library with and without books" posted in The Daily Orange in 2010:

Peter Verheyen does not fit the image of a stereotypical librarian. Besides the fact that he is not an old, bespectacled, gray-haired lady, Verheyen wears a full-length lab coat to work,

considers razor-sharp knives to be common tools of the trade and on some days does not even pick up a book.

 

As head of Bird Library's department of preservation and conservation at Syracuse University, Verheyen is to books what doctors are to wounded soldiers on the battlefield. He and his

team of preservationists are the frontline of care to library materials in need of an emergency repair and fixing.

 "Preservation is an essential part of making sure collections continue to be used," Verheyen said. "It's not just people sitting in front of a computer."

In February 2013 my responsibilities with preservation ended abruptly, and I became an analyst, the focus of my work becoming "data" in various forms. A shock to the system, I vowed that I would not allow that event to define who I was and my interests and involvements. I was grateful that because of the resources I had acquired over decades, that I had everything I needed to continue binding, conservation, and writing at home. A random email about a certain Ernst Collin "saved" me and led me to at times gut-wrenching, yet wonderfully sustaining project that continues. In December 2021, I received the library's Distinguished Service Award, a peer recognition. While very honored, it was also heavily based on work I did pre-2013, something that ended up putting me into a tailspin of burnout and depression of sorts, so that I did very little since. 

January 31st is my last day in "the Bird" as the library is named. Giving notice that I was retiring, seems to have lifted that dark cloud, so that I am finding my way back to enjoying my projects and rediscovering my creative side. Now to make it sustainable. I feel positive about this next phase, and look back on many incredibly rewarding experiences.

Last early morning Call-A-Bus pickup. If I was taking the big city buses,
I would have left the house an hour earlier, aka 5:45am. 

Dropoff at Bird Library. In a wonderful twist, I had the same
driver as the one who helped me navigate the big city buses
9 years earlier, after I gave up my driver's license.

Turning off the lights one last time ...

The official notice in the Libraries' Staff News

I would not have become involved in this beautiful profession and life without support, encouragement, and goading of many:

My parents who ignited the spark; John Dean, Martha Edgerton, Joanna Mankowski, and many others at Johns Hopkins; Georg Reinwald at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum; Dietmar and Regina Klein where I apprenticed; Julia Puissant at the Centro del bel Libro in Ascona; Frank Mowery at the Folger Shakespeare Library; Heinke Pensky Adam at Monastery Hill Bindery; William Minter and Robin Howell; Giesela Noack at Yale, John Dean, Mark Dimunation, Anne Kenney, Christian Boissonnas, Barber Eden Berger, Joan Brink, Pat Fox, and Samantha Couture at Cornell; David Stam. Marty Hanson, Mark Weimer, Peter Graham, Nicolette Dobrowolski, Donia Conn, Patrick Midtlyng, the Brodsky's, Christian Dupont, Sean Quimby, Marianne Hanley, Gail Hoffman, Holly Greenberg, and many others at Syracuse. Then there are the work-study students and interns that stood out to me including Alexandra Penuela, Ken Cronk, Sarah Provoncha, Greg Santos, Terez Iacovino, Sarah Kim, Marieka Kaye, Suzy Morgan, Hannah Stevens, and many others. It wasn't always easy, but I would not have accomplished all I did without you. For that I am grateful.

More about me in my Selected Works and CV. I don't think I'm done yet ... Books to bind, things to write on my blog here and elsewhere, Fritz Otto, aka mini-me, trains, the garden ... Then, perhaps other things like getting involved.

Above the last spread of my "biography" by Greg Santos.
Completed "on-the-clock", of course. 😉