Tutor: Lester
Capon
Dates: 8-9 November 2008
Times: 10.00am - 5.00pm
Venue: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston
Fee: GBP120.00 (plus GBP15.00 materials payable on the
day)
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Leather rebacking is the most challenging area of book restoration which requires patience, skill, and a thorough understanding of binding structures and materials. Firstly, leather binding structures vary considerably, from endpaper construction and headband styles, to board attachments, spine linings and covering methods. Secondly, old leather can be fragile and difficult to handle and requires careful working with specialized tools to lift and re-adhere it during the rebacking process. And thirdly, in order to achieve a successful reback, one must be adept at paring, dyeing and applying repair leather to the original binding.
This workshop will cover the fundamentals of leather rebacking - lifting spines, lifting sides, different methods of board re-attachment, corner repair, board edge repair, reusing original spines, toning in and furbishing etc. The binding will be rebacked with compatible leather, dyed to match the original and carefully pared to fit under the lifted areas.
Students should bring in a selection of leather bindings to work on which can be the subject of group discussion and can be worked on individually with tutorial supervision and advice.
Lester Capon is a Fellow
and past President of Designer Bookbinders. He worked for James Brockman
from 1977 to 1993, and taught Fine Bookbinding and Conservation at
Guildford College for six years. He currently works as a self employed
book restorer and creates contemporary design bindings, many of which
are in collections worldwide. He exhibits his work widely, teaches
each year in Finland, and holds regular workshops across the UK.