Miniature Bookbindings

James Reid-Cunningham

PROJECT I: Long stitch binding

Bindings utilizing a limp parchment (or sometimes paper) cover and long stitch sewing were in use from the 16th until the 19th centuries, primarily for manuscripts and archival records on both paper and vellum. On Northern European bindings, back plates made of leather, parchment, wood, or metal were used to stiffen the spine. This historical prototype was revived by conservators in the late 20th century because of the benefits of its non-adhesive structure, and is widely used by contemporary book artists. The long stitch structure is useful for miniatures because stiff paper textblocks can be made to open with ease.

Illustration from J.A. Szirmai, The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding (Brookfield, VT: Ashgate, 1999).

1. Cut a strip of heavyweight paper to the height of the textblock.

2. Fold the paper to create a spine width equal to 125% of the thickness of the textblock; this will account for the thickness of the thread. Trim the fore edges to size. To stiffen the spine, cut a piece of the same paper equal to the height of the cover and the width of the spine. Adhere it with PVA to the inside of the spine of the cover.

3. Create a template for punching holes in the sections and slitting the cover.

4. Punch holes in the sections with a sewing needle.

7. Slit through the cover horizontally at the sewing stations.

8. Sew with linen thread using a long stitch. Tie off inside the final section.

Illustration from J.A. Szirmai, The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding (Brookfield, VT: Ashgate, 1999).

Use the weaver’s knot to tie on more thread if necessary.

Illustration from Laura S. Young, Bookbinding and Conservation by Hand (Newcastle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1995).

8. Cut the boards with a small square. Allow a small “joint” between the fold in the heavy weight paper and the spine edge of the board; this will make opening easier. Cover in paper, cloth or leather using wheat starch paste, PVA, or PVA/MC mix. Use box corners if covering with paper or cloth.

9. Use PVA to adhere the boards to the cover. Lightly nip each board individually between scrap boards in the press. Do not put the textblock into the press. Dry between boards under a light weight with fences between the boards and flyleaves.

PROJECT II: Lapped component case binding

Illustration of German paper bindings from Gary L. Frost, “Historical Paper Case Binding and Conservation Rebinding,” The New Bookbinder, 2 (1982) 66.

There are many forms of case bindings utilizing stiff boards. The stiffboard case binding first appeared in the 16th century as a temporary binding with paper covered boards. The existence of several examples of early paper bindings featuring woodblock printed illustrations on the cover demonstrates that some of these bindings were meant to be permanent. The lapped component binding is also referred to as a “paper over boards binding;” in the German tradition, the “Bradel binding;” or a binding with a built-in groove. All have an inner structure incorporating a sheet of paper to hold the boards in place during covering; this adds to the strength of the board attachment, but also stiffens the opening. In some traditions, the sewing supports are laced into the case, but often this was not done in order to speed up the binding process. The basic structure of a lapped component binding is now used for leather or cloth bindings as well.

1. Create a template for punching holes in the sections.

2. Punch holes in the sections with a sewing needle.

3. Sew all along with linen thread on polyester tapes.

Illustration from: Arthur W. Johnson, The Thames and Hudson Manual of Bookbinding (London: Thames and Hudson, 1978, reissued 2002).

Use the weaver’s knot to tie on more thread if necessary.

4. Paste the spine.

5. Allow the paste to dry until tacky, then shape the spine of the textblock between backing boards.

6. Line the spine with kozo paper using wheat starch paste.

7. Add headbands if desired. The headbands can be either paper or leather over a thin cord. Adhere the headbands with straight PVA.

8. Use wheat starch paste to adhere secondary spine linings of handmade paper to control the opening. Sand the linings when dry if necessary.

9. Construct a lapped component case with a thin paper bonnet holding the boards in place.

10. The case may be covered in leather, cloth, or decorated paper using 50/50 PVA/methyl cellulose mix. Dry between boards under a light weight with fences between the boards and flyleaves.

11. For a quarter or half binding, adhere the decorated paper on the boards after the spine material is dry.

12. Finish by putting down the board sheet with 50/50 PVA/methyl cellulose mix. Insert fences between the boards and flyleaves and nip lightly. Dry between boards under a light weight with fences between the boards and flyleaves.

PROJECT III: Accordion book

1. Trim the textblock at the horizontal crop marks at head and tail. Lightly score along the vertical crop marks with a bone folder, and then fold the concertina. Fold in alternating directions.

2. Trim the textblock at head and tail to the final size using the vertical crop marks.

3. To prevent show-through after pasting down, a heavier weight paper may be used to line the outer leaves of very thin textblock paper. This will also stiffen the outer leaves, making casing-in easier. Use PVA to adhere the lining paper.

4. Create the case from a single sheet of medium weight paper, with a tongue and slot closure.

5. Case in by applying 50/50 PVA/methyl cellulose mix only along the fore edges of the two outer leaves. Insert the textblock into the case and place sheets of silicone release paper between the flyleaves and the newly adhered pastedowns. There is no need to press it; squeezing between your fingers if sufficient.

RESOURCES

Miniature tools: Micro-Mark, 340 Snyder Avenue, Berkeley Heights NJ 07922-1595, 1-800-225-1066, www.micromark.com

Miniature equipment and books in sheets: http://www.tonyfirmanbookbinding.com Tony’s website also has several pdfs describing how to build miniature equipment.

Miniature bookbinding equipment made by Frank Wiesner in Australia is available from Gabrielle Fox at [email protected]

Miniature lifting and paring knives from Jeffrey S. Peachey: https://www.peacheytools.com

Miniature Book Society: www.mbs.org

Jeweler’s tools available from: Rio Grande www.riogrande.com 800-545-6566

Miniature Finishing Tools available from: P&S Engraving, 38A Norway Street, Portslade, East Sussex BN41 1AE, England www.pandsengraving.co.uk

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bingham, Rebecca, “Collecting Miniature Books,” https://resabi.net/collecting-miniature-books-2/ Bondy, Louis W., Miniature Books (London: Europa Publications, 1981). Bradbury, Robert C., Antique United States Miniature Books 1690-1900 (North Clarendon, VT: Microbibliophile, 2001). Bradbury, Robert C., Twentieth Century United States Miniature Books, (North Clarendon, VT: Microbibliophile, 2000). Bromer, Anne C. and Julian Edison, Miniature Books: 4000 Years of Tiny Treasures (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2007). Dorsey, Jim and Gabrielle Fox, "Miniature Bindings," Guild of Book Workers Journal, 38:1 (Fall 2003) 68-82. Edison, Julian I., A Miniature Lesson in the History of the Book (Cambridge, MA: Houghton Library, 2005). Fairman, Elisabeth R., The Poet of Them All: William Shakespeare and Miniature Designer Bindings from the Collection of Neale and Margaret Albert, (New Haven: Yale Center for British Art, 2016). Firman, Tony, An Introduction to Making Miniature Books (Tony Firman Bookbinding, 2014). Gardner, John, "The Appeal of Miniatures: Small-scale equipment for the binding of miniature books," The New Bookbinder, 23 (2003) 53-55. Jeanne Goodman, “Special Considerations for the Care of Miniature Books and their Bindings,” Archival Products Newsletter, 20:2, 2016. http://www.archival.com/newsletters/apnewsvol20no2.pdf Kavin, Mel, You Can Judge a Book by its Cover, 1994. http://omeka.wustl.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/minibooks Mack, John, The Art of Small Things (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2007). McGuckin, Alex, “The Anatomy of a Book: Alex McGuckin's Bindery in a Box.” Skin Deep, 38, Autumn 2014. http://www.hewit.com/skin_deep/?volume=38&article=1#article Morgan Library and Museum, The Prayer Book of Claude de France, http://www.themorgan.org/collection/Prayer-Book-of-Claude-de-France The Neale M. Albert Collection of Miniature Designer Bindings: A Catalog of an Exhibition Held at the Grolier Club September 13 November 4, 2006 (New York: The Grolier Club and Piccolo Press, 2006). Reid-Cunningham, James, “Enigmatic Devices: the Art of Contemporary Bookbinding,” in Elisabeth R. Fairman, The Poet of Them All: William Shakespeare and Miniature Designer Bindings from the Collection of Neale and Margaret Albert, (New Haven, CT.: Yale Center for British Art), 2016, p. 26-54. Reid-Cunningham, James, “Miniature Bookbinding at the Paper and Book Intensive,” Miniature Book News, 124 (April 2005) 15-17. Tanaka, Yoshie, Miniature Books You Can Make Yourself, (Tokyo: Bunka Publishing Bureau, 2002). Thomas, Peter and Donna, More Making Books by Hand (Gloucester, MA: Quarry Books, 2004). Washington University, Julian Edison’s Resources on Miniature Books, 2017, http://openscholarship.wustl.edu/edison_books/ Lists several downloadable books on miniature books. Welsh, Doris, The History of Miniature Books (Albany, NY: Kathryn I. Rickard, 1987).

Miniature book press

The press is sized to hold a miniature book with all dimensions less than 3”. The press is constructed from four pieces of maple measuring 15 cm x 2 cm x 3.6 cm, with a base piece of thin birch plywood which keeps the supports from racking over time. There is 9 cm between the screws. The screws are made from carriage bolts and wingnuts with washers.

The holes for the bolts are placed a little above the midpoint of the block to allow books of very small width to be held without the textblock tending to splay. The hole in the stationary block is the exact diameter of the shaft of the bolt. The hole in the movable block is 1/32” larger than the diameter of shaft of the bolt; this allows the movable block to move without binding up against the support. A thin piece of paper has been inserted between the stationary block and the support piece before screwing them together; this also helps the movable block to move without binding up.