JCA Steel Entries at Leichhardt Library

The JCA Steel Competition

Monica Oppen  and Anne Eagar have set up the competition entries at Leichhardt Library. 

They have been photographed and images will be viewable on the website.

Leichhardt Library will be closed 24, 25, 26, 27 December and 1, 2 January.
The show ends 31st January and books can be picked up from the Bindery from Wednesday 8th February.

Congratulations to

1st     Diane Kelly       Vodka & White Noise

2nd   Terence Uren      Leaves of Irony

3rd    Helen Wallace    (Untitled)

The Judges' Comments follow:

The variety of bindings presented a challenge to the judges. All books were given a mark based on these criteria:

imaginative use of materials

innovation in binding and
overall artistic expression. 

Although some works showed a very high standard of binding, the works were strictly judged by the criteria.
The first and second prize winning works both received high marks for the first twocriteria but what set the winning piece apart was its higher level of overall artistic expression. The second prize showed finesse in its presentation. The third prize showed an integration of materials and attention to detail.

Caren Florance on the Canberra Gathering

Caren has written about the Canberra bookbinders Gathering in her blog.

Click this link to see the blog page

Ampersand Duck

Paste Paper Examples

Click on this link to see Some recent examples made by Adrienne Allen 

The workshop  scheduled for Saturday 5th November did not fill  but  we'll try again next year.

Cased or Letterpress? Pros and Cons of two Methods of Binding

A cased binding has a sewn text block with hinged endpapers on either side.  The case is made as a separate unit and then the text block is glued into the cover.  It is easy to decorate the covers by using an embossing press before or after they are made.

This book structure is suitable for mass-produced hard cover books. All the stress is placed on the hinges when the book is read and the cover can then fall apart as the hinges wear.

Book repairs should never be made with adhesive tapes, but a cover can be repaired and the book made fit for further use by replacing the hinges and repairing a damaged spine.  

Image from: http://www.printing-in-china.cn/Binding.html

A slightly better quality binding is  made by sewing the book sections onto tapes. This is called a supported binding and the hinges will last longer. For personal use it is not much more work to make a binding where the sections of the text block are sewn onto tapes or cords, the spine is rounded and lined and the supports are then laced into the cover boards. An alternative is a split boards binding.

Beginners can then use book cloth to cover the boards. Labels can be printed and attached to the spine  and the result is an easily opened book with a sound structure which will last  during many years of use.

Because this binding method was used for books printed with hand-set type on manual presses, up to the nineteenth century, the binding technique is known as letterpress binding.

About Our Annual Bookbinding Competition

Read about the classes in the Sydney Easter Show Bookbinding section.  A helpful brochure can be downloaded and printed from our website by clicking on

http://www.nswbookbinders.org.au/Images/Exhibitions/BookbindingComp2011.pdf

Although entries are closed for this year there is  information to be had so you can plan ahead.

For More Information visit the RAS  Website:

http://www.sydneyroyal.com.au/328.htm

Although the JCA Steel Competition is no longer, we may have other  alternatives to offer soon.

first tuesday bookbinding club

A group of our members has agreed to meet at the bindery on the first Tuesday of each month for a cooperative study session. If this time suits you, please look at the information  Page and contact the coordinator, Glenda Hutchison, at webmaster@bookbinders.org.au.