Bookbinding

This week, we visited the Palazzo Farnese in Gradoli to explore the municipality archives and learn about medieval bookbinding. We examined a 16th-century book severely damaged by mold. Its crumbling pages and hole-ridden cover emphasized its age. Our guide, Mario, explained the abundance of such books in Italy, many housed in local archives and containing administrative information of limited historical significance. Restoring this particular book would cost over €5,000 and take a year, resources unfortunately unavailable for such less-historically-important volumes. Within the archive, we examined numerous other books, most bound using a Coptic stitch. The covers were primarily made of leather or sheepskin parchment, reflecting the prevalence of sheep farming in the region. Following this fascinating glimpse into the past, we returned to our workshop to complete the sketchbooks we began last week. Our process involved covering greyboard with fabric and then adhering the book block to the cover.   And finally we started on drawing the illustrations of our fairytale book about ceramics.

Today, we delved into the ancient art of bookbinding by learning the Coptic stitch, one of the earliest and most enduring methods. We meticulously bound our carefully cut signatures using a single, long thread. This process demanded our full attention, but the satisfaction of creating a complete book with our own hands was immense. Following the tradition of illuminated manuscripts, we designed and crafted our own unique initials for the first page of our journals. Just as in historic books, these initials serve as a captivating introduction to each chapter. We carefully considered the design of our initials, ensuring they complemented the chosen cover cloth.   Next week, we will finish our journals by creating their covers, adding the final touch to these handcrafted treasures.

In our second lesson, we delved into the fascinating world of bookmaking, exploring the intricate components that come together to create a tangible story. We dissected the anatomy of a book, from the robust spine and the elegant cover to the delicate endpapers and the often-overlooked headbands. A highlight was examining authentic 18th-century paper, bearing the watermark of the illustrious Farnese family – a local historical touch that brought the past to life. We also learned about the meticulous art of traditional bookbinding, specifically the French stitch, where each signature is securely anchored with a kettle stitch.   Inspired by this journey through bookmaking history, we embarked on a project to create our own unique journals. We selected high-quality materials – faux leather for a touch of luxury and substantial 120gsm paper to provide a smooth writing surface. The process began by lining the inside of the leather with a soft, tactile paper. While this dried, we meticulously folded the seven signatures destined for our journals. After carefully punching holes in both the signatures and the cover, we began the intricate process of sewing them together using a beautiful cross-stitch pattern. This hands-on experience allowed us to truly appreciate the craftsmanship involved in creating a lasting record.”

Our bookbinding adventure began with a deep dive into paper formats. We meticulously folded and measured an A3 sheet, observing how it diminished in size with each fold, all the way down to the minuscule A9. After diligently recording the dimensions of each format, we embarked on our first project: a miniature A9 notebook. Bertie expertly guided us in cutting A4 paper into A8 sheets using our carefully measured A3 guide. With patience, we transformed 1.5 sheets of A4 into 24 tiny A8 papers, which we then folded in half to create three “signatures” for our notebook. We were then free to select a cover paper and adorn it with a little charm. At the end of the lesson, we proudly carried home our handcrafted treasures.   To culminate our learning, we discussed how to bring our fairytale stories (written during ceramics class) to life in a tangible form. We collectively decided to create a single, grand book, brimming with illustrations, a collaborative testament to our creativity.