Friedrich Meink, Berlin

Ich habe in dieser Woche noch ein gebundenes Exemplar von der Heftlade die unter der Schriftleitung von Ernst Collin für den Jakob-Krause-Bund 1922-24 produziert wurde. Ich war sehr froh dieses Exemplar zu erwerben da die zwei Hefte des 2ten Jahrganges (1924) mit eingebunden waren. Auch dabei waren alle Beilagen ausser einer, sowie die Werbung die so oft in diesen Zeitschriften erschien. Mein erstes Exemplar der Heftlade hatte Wasserschade, die meisten Beilagen fehlten, sowie die zwei Heft vom 2ten Jahrgang. Aber, das es nur 400 Exemplare der Heftlade gab kann man sagen, daß die Hefte selten sind – unentbehrlich für ernste Collin Sammler und diesen Bibliographen.

Unter den Beilage war dieses schöne Zeichen für die Werkstatt von Friedrich Meink aus Berlin. Leider konnte ich bis jetzt keinen abgebildeten Einband von Meink finden, aber wie viele seiner Kollegen schrieb auch er Aufsätze in Fachzeitschriften und Ausstellungskataloge. Ein Beispiel der letzteren Kategorie war der Meinks Aufsatz "Die Zunftsprache des Buchbinders," daß in dem Katalog Ausstellung Handwerklicher Einbandkunst im Museum des Güstrower Kunst- und Altertumsvereins - 21. September bis 15. Oktober 1924 erschien. Meink war auch mit einem Einband an Collins Pressbengel in der Ausstellung vertreten. Ernst Collin schrieb auch einen Aufsatz in dem Katalog.

Unten zwei Abbildungen aus der Heftlade – Meinks Zeichen und ein Inserat für seine Werkstatt. Der Holzschnitt ist von Friedrich Schult aus Güstrow.

Just acquired another bound volume of Die Heftlade, a "modest" journal published by Ernst Collin for the Jakob-Krause-Bund 1922-24. Very glad I acquired this as it mentioned that the two issues of Vol 2, 1924 were bound in, as well as being described as missing only one of the inserts. My original copy of this journal only included vol 1, had water damage, and was missing most inserts... Still, considering that it had been published in an edition of 400 copies a rare find - essential for the Ernst Collin collector/bibliographer.

One of the inserts was this beautiful logo for the bookbinder Friedrich Meink from Berlin. While have not been able to find a binding image, like many of his peers, Friedrich Meink also wrote articles and essays that appeared in journals and exhibit catalogs. An example of the latter was the essay, "Die Zunftsprache des Buchbinders" ("The Trade Language of  Bookbinders") that appeared in the catalog Ausstellung Handwerklicher Einbandkunst im Museum des Güstrower Kunst- und Altertumsvereins - 21. September bis 15. Oktober 1924 that Ernst Collin also wrote an essay for. The catalog indicated that Meink exhibited a binding on Collin's Pressbengel.

Below two items from Die Heftlade – the first Meink's logo, the other an advertisement for his bindery in Berlin. The woodcut is by Friedrich Schult in Güstrow.

Meinks Zeichen | Logo for Friedrich Meink, Berlin
Holzschnitt von | Woodcut by
Friedrich Schult

Meink advertised his workshop for hand bookbinding as producing simple and fine bindings in leather, parchment, linen, and paper with hand-tooling, leather and inlays and mosaic, and Batik. Also portfolios, mats, and the restoration of old bindings.

Inserat für die Werkstatt von | Advertisement for the workshop of
Friedrich Meink

An der selben Addresse war der Lette Verein, eine Berufsbildungsstätte wo Paul Kersten und Maria Lühr die Buchbinderei unterrichteten. Der Lette Verein wurde 1866 gegründet.

At the same address is the Lette Verein, a technical school originally just for women where Paul Kersten and Maria Lühr taught bookbinding. The Lette Verein was founded in 1866.

Boss Dog Press Bone Folder in Full Production

The Boss Dog Press Bone Folder is in full production and heading into the home stretch! Don Rash and his assistants have done a beautiful job with the printing and binding. As described in the prospectus, the deluxe edition is bound in quarter leather with hidden corners and pastepapers on the sides. [Edit: More also on the Boss Dog Press site]

Deluxe edition in quarter leather with pastepaper sides

Full production, deluxe in the front, regular in full paper behind

The regular edition is covered in full pastepaper with printed paper labels on spine and front board.

Full production,  regular in full paper in the front, deluxe behind

Below, the title spread from one of the copies I have bound with a facsimile of the original 1922 edition of Der Pressbengel as a frontispiece.

The title spread

I'm going to say that I'm floored by how beautifully these are looking - very much in keeping with an aesthetic Ernst Collin would have approved of, and enjoyed.

Kunstgewerbeschule Hamburg

Happy to add this image of the bookbinding workshop of the Staatl. Kunstgewerbeschule in Hamburg Lerchenfeld to my collection. The workshop is significant for the first teachers there, Franz Weiße (1907-1942) and Ignatz Wiemeler (1945-1952). Both were among the absolute top of German binders and teachers of binding, and Weiße was Wiemeler's teacher. The building the studio is in was built 1911-1913, and this postcard appears to have been taken shortly after, so during Weiße's time.

Workshop of the Staatl. Kunstgewerbeschule Hamburg

Postcard verso

In addition to teaching at the school, Weiße was the author of numerous articles on bookbinding and marbling, including the monograph Die Kunst des Marmorierens (Translated into English Richard J. Wolfe as The Art of Marbling, and published by Bird & Bull Press, 1980)

Franz Weiße with student Martin Lehmann,
from Der Buchbinderlehrling, Vol. 11, Nr.11, 1938.

Wiemeler, was perhaps THE most noted German binder of the 20th century, certainly from the US perspective. He was, among others, teacher of Kurt Londenberg (teacher of Frank Mowery), Fritz Eberhardt (teacher of Don Rash), and Arno Werner (teacher of many in Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley including Carol Blinn, Sarah Creighton, and elsewhere such as Gerhard Gerlach).

Ignatz Wiemeler (at left)with Kurt Londenberg in Leipzig, Germany, 1937.
From: Leben und Werk des Buchkünstlers Kurt Londenberg (1914-1995),
Helma Schaefer, ed., Verlag Ludwig, 2009.

Bone Folder Printing DONE

The printing is done, and even the printer can't believe it!

About 2.5 weeks ago I signed LOTS of colophons and mailed them back to the Boss Dog Press while they finished the title pages and frontispieces...

Then today, a box arrived with my copies in sheets to bind for the Guild of Book Workers' Formation exhibition. Great timing as I am off of work until January 3rd, so hoping to get through all the forwarding.

Final pre-sewing trim...


Don Rash and his Boss Dog Press did a really beautiful job printing this. Orders for sheets will go out shortly, and then binding starts next month!

The wait has been more than worth it. More details about the edition and ordering information here.

Thank you Don!

Bone Folder Design Prototypes

While waiting for the Boss Dog Press to complete the printing of the fine press edition of my translation of Ernst Collin's Der Pressbengel (as The Bone Folder), I decided to experiment with some design ideas on the sheets I offer for download. While the format of these is 8.5" x 11" folded in half, the fine press edition will have a trim size of 9" x 12."

N.b. The Boss Dog's printing is almost complete, and will have been more than worth the wait. Like a fine wine or beer.

Binding 1, Dorfner/de Gonet style:

The design is a play on the question and answer dialog of the text. Sewing supports are vellum back with pared leather to give a more 3-dimension effect. Leather on spine is natural Niger leather and on boards is Harmatan with chagrin for the low relief onlays.

Top edge in graphite with hand sewn endbands. The image also shows the open joint structure of the Dorfner/de Gonet style

Collaged doublures and flyleaves with dilute colored paste washes. Base of the collage is Collin's original text in German, with onlays from articles and books on topics referenced in the book that were written by Collin.
I was inspired to try this by some of the work of Mark Cockram, but mine pale in comparison... Still, I think they work here.

Binding 2, Danish millimeter style:

The Danish millimeter is best described in English by John Hyltoft who presented on it at the Guild of Book Workers 1995 Standards conference (starts on PDF page 33). See his presentation handout here.

Spine covered in salmon parchment with pastepaper boards, invisible salmon parchment corners.

I describe making the salmon parchment here. It was very nice to work with and I still have lots...

Pastepaper doublures and flyleaves that continue the dark to light progression from the cover.
Top edge in graphite with endbands of pastepaper wrapped around a thread core.

Detail of salmon parchment and pastepaper at spine.

If anyone who downloaded the sheets would like to share their binding, send me an email using the "contact" link at top right. I'd love see and perhaps even share...

W. Collin Einband zu Goethes Clavigo

Anfang August, beim Stöbern bei ABE, fand ich einen Hinweis zu noch einem W. Collin Einband an Clavigo, dieses mal mit dem Druckdatum von 1918.

At the beginning of August, while browsing at ABE, I found a listing for another W. Collin binding on Clavigo, this time with a publication date of 1918.

Clavigo. Ein Trauerspiel. München Verlag der Marées-Gesellschaft (R Piper & Co), 1918.

5 Bll., gest. Titel (von E. R. Weiß), 132 Seiten, Gr8° (23,4 x 17,6 cm), handgeb. Ganzpergamentbd. (sign. W. Collin Berlin) mit prunkvoller Ganzdeckel-Vergold., vergold. Innenfileten, Kopfgoldschnitt und olivgrünen Seidenmoiree-Vorsätzen. Die farbigen Illustrationen sind handkolorierte Wiedergaben von Emil Wöllner nach Aquarellen von Götz Freiherr von Seckendorf, der im August 1914 im Krieg gefallen war. Erschienen als 1. Druck der Marées-Gesellschaft in einer Auflage von 150 (insgesamt 200) nummerierten Exemplaren auf Bütten. Dies ist die Nummer 47. - Sehr gut erhaltenes Exemplar in einem bibliophilen und signierten Meistereinband, der verzierte Original-Umschlag mit eingebunden.

Hatte damals den Antiquar angeschrieben der freundlicherweise Bilder teilte, aber mich auch mitteilte, daß der Einband vergiffen war. Pech gehabt... War aber nicht so, und nach ca. 5~6 Wochen erhielt ich ein Email mit der Frage ob ich noch dran interessiert wäre? Ein klares Ja, und ca. eine Woche später traf das Buch ein. Unten ein Bilderbericht.

Had written to the antiquarian at the time who generously shared pictures, but also let me know that it had been recently sold. Turned out not to be the case as I learned through an email 5~6 weeks later in which he asked if I was still interested. Of course I was, and about a week later the book arrived here... Below an illustrated report.

Decken Aussenseite mit Vergoldung auf Pergament.
Exterior of the case with gold tooling on the cover.

Spiegel aus Seide mit Vergoldung auf den Einschlägen.
Silk doublures with gold tooling on the turn-ins.

Ecken Vergoldung.
Corner tooling.

Die Decke wurden nicht am Falz abegesetzt sondern wie beim Franzband behandelt.
There is no groove on the case, rather it was treated as if a tight-jointed leather extra binding.

Der Einschlag vom Pergament ist unter der Hülse, Zeichen eines Deckenbands.
The turn-ins are under the hollow, the sign of a cased binding.

W. Collin Signatur(e)

Erste Titelblatt von Emil Rudolf Weiß.
First title page by Emil Rudolf Weiß.

Zweites Titelblatt von Emil Wöllner nach Goetz Freiherr von Seckendorff.
Second title page by Emil Wöllner after Goetz Freiherr von Seckendorff.

Zelf Boekbinden, 1934

Recently acquired a charming new binding manual for bibliophilic amateurs, Zelf Boekbinden by Elisabeth Menalda. The book was published in Amsterdam (NL) in 1934 and includes an overviewof the basic tools and equipment; preparations and sewing; forwarding; completing a quarter of full cloth/paper in-boards binding.

Zelf Boekbinden by Elisabeth Menalda, Amsterdam, 1934.

Author's introduction.

The bookbinder backing a book.

Conceptually similar in scope and audience is
Ernst Collin's Buchbinderei für den Hausbedarf
reprinted and republished in several editions between 1915 and 1933.

I think the two images above go together nicely