When
I first ran across Gilded Leaf Bindery, it was housed in a dusty, dark antiquarian
bookseller hidden in the western suburbs of Chicago. The master binder, his apprentice
and his tools were crammed into one corner with shelves of paper rolls, typefaces
and unusual tools. What sold me was not the shop, but the samples and the clients
who used them.
The
customer list impressed me. They had done work for world leaders and other well-known
people, preparing presentation books and boxes to house them in for major libraries
and private collections. They had also repaired antiquarian books for the bookstore's
clientele. Some of the better work is on the website.
The
first job they did for us was a journal-style collection of letters as a gift
from my wife to me when we married. It held the e-mails and other correspondence
of our relationship reprinted on quality paper with a leather cover.
The
next job was a Christmas tree ornament set. These are two miniature books, all
bound like a full-size book, but sized for a Christmas tree. We had enough room
to write a short message.
The
most recent job was a custom-made housewarming gift. We had them make a guestbook
that evokes an 1800s literary look with a modern art student simplicity. It managed
both a rustic and sophisticated tone for the recipients (a lawyer and a physician).
It has bone (or bone-like) closure, allowing the pages to be protected.
Although
they are now near Knoxville, TN, we exchanged e-mail and phone calls to establish
the look and tone. We explained our budget, who would be receiving the gift and
the general design we wanted. They delivered images of samples to compare to,
and described what flourishes could be done. They exceeded our expectations.
The
website provides a portfolio, as well as a description of their services -- rebinding,
restoration, fine binding, journals, enclosures (fitted boxes), and embossing
and hotstamping. They offer classes and lectures offsite and on regarding bookbinding
and the related crafts.
I
fully recommend "Gilded Leaf Fine Bookbinding & Restoration," as
found at their website GildedLeafBindery.com.
Anthony
Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com
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