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AMERICAN ACADEMY OF BOOKBINDING
2009 COURSE OFFERINGS

TELLURIDE, COLORADO

Conservation: Introduction to Binding Structures
April 13 – 24  |  instructor: Renate Mesmer
TUITION: $1500
This course will introduce students to a variety of binding structures that will lay the foundation for future classes in book conservation and restoration. Students will begin making a pamphlet binding and will follow with a case binding covered in cloth. Students will then construct a quarter-leather or half-leather binding with raised bands, and will finish with a limp vellum case binding, if time allows. Students use a variety of tools, equipment and fundamental binding techniques, and will gain a comprehensive introduction to the world of book conservation. This is an entry-level course in conservation and it is the first course for students interested in pursuing a conservation diploma. No experience is required.

Conservation: Restoration of Cloth & Leather Bindings
April 27 – May 1  | Instructor: Brenda Parsons
TUITION: $800
This course will cover the restoration and repair of cloth and leather bindings using the combination of Japanese paper and linen for rebacking and other repairs. Students may also complete a leather reback. Students should bring four books needing repair, two cloth and two leather, to work on during class. No prerequisite is required for this class. This is a required class for the conservation diploma and can be taken at any time during the program, or repeated as desired.

Fine Binding: Fundamentals of Bookbinding
May 4 – 15  | Instructor: Don Glaister
TUITION: $1500
In this introduction to leather binding, students will learn the different steps of traditional bookbinding, beginning with case binding, and will lay the foundation for future fine binding and specialty courses. Students will be introduced to sewing using a sewing frame, rounding and backing, edge decoration, headbands, leather paring and applying leather to the book. The focus of the class will be on learning sound bookbinding techniques with special emphasis on working with leather. Students will complete a half-leather binding in the first week and a full-leather binding in the second week. This is an entry-level course to fine binding. No experience is required.

Titling for Fine Binding or Conservation
May 18 – 22 | Instructor: Hélène Jolis
TUITION: $800
Hélène Jolis joins the AAB staff again this year to teach an intensive week of titling. Participants will learn titling in the French manner using brass type and type holders, with a particular concentration on the spacing of letters. Titles can be done in either blind or gold. Participants will practice on titling blocks and, if time allows and skills have advanced enough, students will be able to title their untitled books. The focus will be on improving titling as well as learning to correct errors. As Hélène says, “No one can achieve perfection in titling after one week—it takes many years of practice. But I hope to give students a strong foundation in titling so that with practice, their titling skills will improve.” This class is limited to eight students.

Contemporary Decorative Techniques, Level II
May 25 – 29 | Instructor: Hélène Jolis
TUITION: $800
This is a follow-up course to Hélène’s Technique class taught in Telluride in May 2008.
Students must have attended the LEVEL I class prior to attending LEVEL II.
In this follow-up class with Hélène, students will build on skills they learned in the Level I class. The techniques taught will lead to more complicated situations and difficult techniques as the week progresses. Students will work on two full-leather plaquettes, simply prepared to the exact measure, that will become the front and back covers of a book. The design that the students will work on will be from a drawing by Monique Matthieu. Everyone will work from the same design, but each will chose different colors and materials to render their own interpretation. As with the first week, the techniques are easily accessible to everyone and will lead to precision, finesse and an improved quality of work. Hélène’s goal is to introduce techniques that will stimulate individual creativity. This class is limited to eight students.

Fine Binding: Advanced Leather Binding
June 1 – 12 | Instructor: Monique Lallier
TUITION: $1500
In this two-week class students will complete two full-leather bindings. The student will utilize a variety of interior and exterior techniques such as laced-in boards, onlays, inlays, blind and gold tooling, embroidered endbands in the French technique and edge-to-edge leather doublures or sunken suede doublures. The focus will be on refining fundamental binding techniques while continuing to develop creative design elements. The class may be used as a review of the whole program or a concentration on one particular technique to prepare for the diploma. Anyone who has completed two or three years with the American Academy of Bookbinding may register for this course. Bookbinders who have received training at other locations may submit their work in order to be accepted. This class may be repeated as needed.

TELLURIDE FALL COURSES

Intermediate Fine Leather Binding
September 21 – Oct 2  | Instructor: Don Glaister
TUITION: $1500
Students will complete two full-leather bindings in this class. A range of fine binding techniques will be learned including laced-in boards, French style embroidery end-bands, leather hinges, end papers, sunken suede leather doublures and decorated paper or leather fly leaves. Design techniques will also be covered in the two-week session. Students registering for this class should have completed the Introduction to Fine Binding or Fundamentals of Bookbinding course or must exhibit a basic knowledge of leather bookbinding by submitting several examples of their work.

Introduction to Alternative Techniques
October 5 – 9  | Instructor: Don Glaister
TUITION: $800
This one-week course is an exploration of decorative techniques not typically associated with leather bookbinding. That is, they are techniques other than gold and blind tooling, onlay and inlay. Students will learn to use such simple and effective techniques as leather sanding, leather drawing, leather painting, feathered onlay, board forming and leather molding. Students will learn to make specialized tools for their work and to create decorative materials. In addition to exploring the technical aspect of this work, students will be given exercises and guidance that will help them to design their bindings creatively, using these alternative techniques. This class is open to students with all levels of experience.

Fine Box Making
October 12 – 16 | Instructor: Monique Lallier
TUITION:  $800
In this class, students will be instructed on how to make two different types of fine boxes for two bound books. The two styles, a clamshell and a modern drop spine, replace the less effective chemise and slipcase. They are specifically designed to protect the books from light, dust and climate changes. The boxes that will be constructed in class can be made with a variety of materials including book cloth, leather, paper or a combination of these three elements. Students will also learn how to modify the construction of these boxes in order to accommodate differently shaped objects. No experience is necessary. 

New Oriental Bindings
October 19 – 23 | INSTRUCTOR: Monique Lallier
TUITION: $800
Monique will guide students through the process of making elegant New Oriental Bindings, a technique that is very popular in Europe. The beauty of the New Oriental Binding is that the book opens flat and no glue touches the sections of the book. The technique is linked to the Japanese style that we all know without the visible sewing. The difference is the preparation of the textblock as each section is sewn separately. The covers are also worked on individually and attached to the textblock at the end of the process. The technique works better on thinner books but textblocks can be as thick as one inch. Different materials can be used such as leather, paper, cloth, silk etc. The course is recommended for all levels of students as a way to diversify their study. No previous bookbinding experience is required.

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

Intermediate Fine Leather Binding
May 4 – 15 | Instructor: Monique Lallier
TUITION: $1500
Students will complete two full-leather bindings in this class. A range of fine binding techniques will be learned including laced-in boards, French style embroidery end-bands, leather hinges, end papers, sunken suede leather doublures and decorated paper or leather fly leaves. Also covered in the two-week session will be design techniques. Students registering for this class should have completed the Introduction to Fine Binding or Fundamentals of Bookbinding course or must exhibit a basic knowledge of leather bookbinding by submitting several examples of their work.

Box Making for Conservation
May 18 – 22  | Instructor: Don Etherington
TUITION: $800
This one-week class will focus on making boxes for conservation. After discussing various box structures and uses, students will construct a variety of boxes with card stock and binders board covered in cloth. Students will construct a clamshell box with a shelf, and a clamshell box with a rounded spine covered in leather. Tools, materials and equipment will be discussed and introduced. No experience is required.

Forwarding & Covering for Conservation
May 25 – June 5  | Instructor: Don Etherington
TUITION:  $800
In this two-week class, students will learn how to forward and cover textblocks. In the first week, students will concentrate on rounding and backing, board attachment, endband sewing, and board shaping for various styles of binding. In the second week, students will concentrate on selecting various types of leather for covers and paring, as well as the different methods of covering. The filling-in of boards and endpaper attachment will also be practiced. This class is open to new students at the Academy who have prepared textblocks, or students who have attended the Academy’s Treatments of Textblocks and Sewing class.

Titling for Fine Binding or Conservation
June 8 – 12  |  Instructor: Hélène Jolis
TUITION: $800
Hélène Jolis joins the AAB staff again this year to teach an intensive week of titling. Participants will learn titling in the French manner using brass type and type holders, with a particular concentration on the spacing of letters. Titles can be done in either blind or gold. Participants will practice on titling blocks and, if time allows and skills have advanced enough, students will be able to title their untitled books. The focus will be on improving titling as well as learning to correct errors. As Hélène says, “No one can achieve perfection in titling after one week—it takes many years of practice. But I hope to give students a strong foundation in titling so that with practice, their titling skills will improve.” This class is limited to eight students.

Contemporary Decorative Techniques
Level I and Level II combined
June 15 – 19  | Instructor: Hélène Jolis
TUITION: $800
This class is open to students who are studying with Hélène for the first time, as well as students who attended Hélène’s Level I class last spring in Telluride. The two groups will be taught separately, with the Level II students building on the techniques they learned in the Level I class. The techniques taught in this class open real possibilities for creative work in contemporary decoration. They are adapted to the need of most designer bookbinders, from beginners to professionals, without requiring an investment of costly tools.

Level I students will focus on developing the skill of modern inlay, onlay, juxtaposition and incision techniques. Each student will work on one or two leather-covered panels, following a design pattern created by Hélène. Students will begin with simple exercises that will lead to more complicated inlay designs as the week progresses. Using a variety of materials such as wood, metal, different kinds of leather and small objects, students will learn a new way to approach inlays. The techniques taught are easily accessible to everyone and will lead to precision, finesse and an improved quality of work. The objective is to lead the student to a technical understanding that will serve to stimulate creativity.
Level II students should refer to the Level II description in the Telluride section.

ANN ARBOR FALL COURSES

Treatments of Textblocks and Sewing
Sept. 14 – 25  | Instructor: Don Etherington
TUITION: $1500
This course will introduce a number of treatments of textblocks, including washing, sizing and deacidification. Guarding signatures and repairing tears and losses using Japanese papers and heat set tissue will be demonstrated with students practicing on their own books. The second week of the course will concentrate on various methods of sewing. This will include link stitch and sewing on single and double cords using herringbone or “all along” sewing. Sewing using a concertina guard will be practiced. Various styles of endpapers will be constructed and attached to the sewn textblocks.

Students should bring at least three books in need of textblock treatment, mending, sewing, and endpaper attachment plus others for sewing and end paper attachment. The three books required for the treatment sessions should not be thicker than 1 inch and not larger than 12 inches high. If possible, they should have been printed before 1900. These books will be used in the Forwarding, Covering, Finishing and Box Making segments of the Book Conservation Diploma Program.

Fine Binding: Fundamentals of Bookbinding
Sept. 28 – Oct. 9 | Instructor: Monique Lallier
TUITION: $1500
In this introduction to leather binding, students will learn the different steps of traditional bookbinding, beginning with case binding, and will lay the foundation for future fine binding and specialty courses. Students will be introduced to sewing using a sewing frame, rounding and backing, edge decoration, headbands, as well as leather paring and applying leather to the book. The focus of the class will be on learning sound bookbinding techniques with special emphasis on working with leather. Students will complete a half-leather binding in the first week and a full-leather binding in the second week. This is an entry-level course to fine binding. No experience is required.

VISITING ARTIST Hélène Jolis
to teach in San Francisco & Boston

The American Academy of Bookbinding is excited to partner with the North Bennet Street School in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Hand Bookbinders of California in San Francisco to offer a specialty class with honored visiting artist Hélène Jolis. By expanding some of the AAB’s offerings to the east and west coasts, students will have the opportunity to study with Hélène and not have to travel the distance to Telluride or Ann Arbor.

Hélène will offer the first class in a series of three that is titled “Contemporary Decorative Techniques,” that was offered in Telluride in 2008 and was well received. It is also offered at our Ann Arbor campus at Hollander’s in 2009.

Contemporary Decorative Techniques
Techniques taught in this workshop open real possibilities for creative work in contemporary decoration. The techniques are adapted to the need of most designer bookbinders, from beginners to professionals, without requiring an investment of costly tools. Students will focus on developing the skill of modern inlay, onlay, relief, juxtaposition and incision techniques. Each student will work on one or two leather-covered panels, following a design pattern created by Hélène. Students will begin with simple exercises that will lead to more complicated designs as the week progresses. Using a variety of materials such as wood, metal, different kinds of leather and small objects, students will learn a new way to approach the aforementioned techniques, with a special focus on inlays. The techniques taught are easily accessible to everyone and will lead to precision, finesse and an improved quality of work. The objective is to lead the student to a technical understanding that will serve to stimulate creativity. Students register directly with the Hand Bookbinders of California and the North Bennet Street School for these classes.

San Francisco, California, June 22-26, 2009
Location: TBA
To register, contact Ann Lindsey at alindsey@library.berkeley.edu, or HBC, PO Box 193216, San Francisco, CA, 94119

Boston, Massachusetts, June 29-July 3, 2009
North Bennet Street School
Register online at www.nbss.org, at contact Jourdan Abel at workshop@nbss.org, or call
617-227-0155. Visit the North Bennet Street School’s website at www.nbss.org.

Tuition: $800, includes some materials
For additional questions, contact AAB administrative director Judy Kohin at aab@ahhaa.org, or 970-728-8649.