Past Events

The New England Chapter has been creating programming for its members and the community at large since 1980. An overview of the Chapter’s exhibitions can be found under the “Exhibitions” tab. The following list overviews workshops, lectures, social and other events organized and sponsored by the chapter.

2020:
Workshops:
– Kitty Maryatt – Traditional French Pochoir
Other Events:
– Girl Scouts Book Arts Workshop
– Zoom Show and Tell – every two weeks from April – present

2019
Lectures:
– Todd Pattison – “Adhered Boards Construction: The transitional ‘missing link’ between laced on boards and case binding”
– John DeMerritt – “Building a Living Craft”
– Jeff Peachey – “Conservation of Dante’s 1477 La Commedia“
Workshops:
– Madeleine Durham – Paste Papers
– Daniel E. Kelm – The Book Restructured: Wire Edge Binding
Other Events:
– Girl Scouts Book Arts Workshop
– Formation Opening Reception with talks from Jeff Altepeter and Graham Patten
– Evening of Candlepin Bowling with Jim Croft and Brien Beidler

2018
Lectures:
– Nicky Oliver – “The Serendipity of Bookbinding: A Bookbinder’s Journey into the World of Leather Dyeing”
Workshops:
– Nicky Oliver – Decorative Leather Dyeing Techniques

2017
Lectures:
– Katherine Beaty – “Tackets, Overboards, Lacings and Buckles: a lecture on early Italian stationery bindings of Harvard’s Baker Library”
Workshops:
– Katherine Beaty – Italian Tacketed Stationery Bindings
Other Events:
– Girl Scouts Book Arts Workshop
– members visited Rabelais Books for a talk from proprietor, Don Lindgren
– during a visit to the Providence Public Library, members were given a presentation on the Nicholson Whaling Log Book Collection
– Open/Set Opening Reception with talks from Todd Pattison, Colin Urbina, Jackie Scott and Mark Esser
– In Memoriam: Commemorating the Life and Legacy of Christopher Clarkson

2016
Lectures:
– during the Beyond Words exhibit at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, members were treated to a gallery talk
Workshops:
– Coleen Curry – Staple Binding in Stone Veneer
– Jeff Altepeter – Making Finishing Tools
– Abigail Bainbridge – Bookbinding According to Diderot
Other Events:
– Vessel Opening Reception with talk from Erik and Martin Demaine, Graham Patten and Colin Urbina

2015
Lectures:
– Stuart Bennet – “Trade Bookbinding in the British Isles 1660 – 1800”
– Bill Hanscom – “Traditional Ethiopian Bookbinding”
Workshops:
– Jim Croft – Long-Stitch Binding
Other Events:
– Girl Scouts Book Arts Workshop
– Artist talk at Geographies Exhibit at Creative Arts Workshop

2014
Lectures:
– Walter Tisdale – “Exploring the Creative Process”
– Gray Parrot – “43 Years in the Trade: My Career as a Decorative Bookbinder”
Workshops:
– Nancy Leavitt – Pen, Paper and Paint
– Katie MacGregor – A Hand Papermaker’s Perspective
– Ben Elbel – Onion Skin Binding
– Jill Timm – The Amazing Dremel

2013
Lectures:
– Aimee Lee – “Korean Papermaking”
Workshops:
– Richard Horton – American Springback Working Composite Model and Photo Album Structures & Strategies

2012
Lectures:
– Gretchen and Garret Dixon, The Marbler’s Apprentice – “Historic Paper Marbling”
– Julie Miller – “Scaleboard Bindings”
Workshops:
– Karen Hanmer – All Shook Up: Interplay of text and image in the flag book format
– Julie Miller – “Scaleboard Bindings”

2011
Other Events:
– opening reception for deFINEd Bindings: 26 Bindings of the Pictorial Webster’s during the Standards Seminar
– visit to Peabody’s Leather Worker’s Museum to see master leather artisans work on their craft

2010
Lectures:
– to help celebrate the North Bennet Street School’s 125th Anniversary, NEGBW co-sponsored a variety of lectures to be held at the school

2009
Lectures:
– Shanna Leino – Artist Talk
– Tom Conroy
Workshops:
– Shanna Leino – Bone Toolmaking
Other Events:
– hosted a small marketplace at the Arlington Center for the Arts where favorite regional vendors offered tools, decorative paper, leather, parchment and more

2008
Lectures:
– Scott Husby – Research into the History of Incunables

2007
Workshops:
– Jeff Peachey – On the Fine Art of Knife Sharpening

2005
Lectures:
– Martin Frost – “The Curious Art of Hidden Fore-Edge Painting”
Workshops:
– Martin Frost – The Curious Art of Hidden Fore-Edge Painting

2004
Lectures:
– Sam Ellenport – “The Economics of Desire: The History of the Club Bindery”
Workshops:
– Donia Conn – Molded Paper Spine Conservation Binding
– Terry Boon – Paper Conservation for Bookbinders and Book Conservators

2003
Lectures:
– Katie MacGregor presented on papermaking where she discussed fiber and pigment formulas she had developed for making conservation papers for older books, other aspects of her process and her career in the field
– Dr. John L. Sharpe – “Development of the Early Codex”
Workshops:
– Peter Verheyen – Springback Ledger Binding
– Renate Mesmer – Wooden Board Conservation Binding
– members made a field trip to Montgomery, New York for a parchment workshop with Jesse Meyer at Pergamena
Other Events:
– swap meet at the Arlington Center for the Arts

2002
Lectures:
– Christopher Clarkson – “The Kennicott Bible: a description of its illumination, box binding, and conservation problems”
– Sylvie Merian – “The Making of an Armenian Manuscript”
– Patricia Lovett – “Medieval Manuscripts to Modern Calligraphy”
Workshops:
– Deborah Evetts – Gold Tooling
– Paul Johnson – The Book as Picture: The Permanently Open Page
– Christopher Clarkson – Endbands, End of Spine-Bands & Headbands
– Elizabeth Morse – Pressure Sensitive Tape Removal
Other Events:
– swap meet at the Arlington Center for the Arts

2001
Lectures:
– during a tour at the new Berry Library at Dartmouth College, a panel discussion on Standards was given by Eric Alstrom (Dartmouth College), Mark Andersson (NBSS) and Peter Verheyen (Syracuse University) with James Reid-Cunningham as moderator
– David Lanning, from Hewit’s Tannery, discussed the longevity of leathers made for bookbinding
– Nancy Norton Tomasko – “Chinese Papermaking”
Workshops:
– Babette Gehnrich – Paper Repair
– Priscilla Spitzmueller – Girdle Bindings

2000
Lectures:
– Rhode Island School of Design, Reader’s Services Librarian, Laurie Whitehall Chong, spoke on the history of artist’s books, showing examples from the collection of over 600 pieces
– at North Bennet Street School, Per Culled, Senior Conservator at the Uppsala University Library in Sweden, gave a presentation on the fire at the Linkoping Library, in addition to a demonstration on “Paper Splitting”
Workshops:
– Peter Halliday – Use of Gold Leaf
Other Events:
– swap meet to Quercus Press where Johnny Carrera gave a presentation on his Webster’s Dictionary project

1999
Lectures:
– Vincent Ferrini – “Metal Book Hinges, Clasps, Hasps and Escutcheons”
– Nancy Leavitt – “From Landscape to Manuscript Book: a tour of Iona and Holy Island”
– Stuart Walker – “Five Centuries of Bookbindings at the Boston Public Library: an exhibit of bookbinding from the collection of the Rare Book and Manuscript Department”
– Christopher Clarkson – “Conservation of Early Books”
Workshops:
– Betsy Palmer Eldridge – Endbands
– Adam Larsson – Cross Structure Binding

1998
Lectures:
– Sally Key discussed the construction of model historic bindings and Dr. Bernard Meaghan, Keeper of the Manuscripts at Trinity College, talked about the materials used in the manufacture of the Book of Kells
– during a joint chapter meeting with the Letterpress Guild and NEGBW at the Quercus Press, Johnny Carerra demonstrated the use of his Linotype and showed his work as both printer and binder
Workshops:
– Peter Geraty – Board Construction for Adhesive-Bound Parchment Bindings
Other Events:
– tour of Boston University’s Burns Library conservation lab given by Mark Esser

1997
Lectures:
– Carol Barton gave a slide lecture on historical antecedents of tunnel books
– Dr. Philip Maddock, a private collector, spoke on Irish bookbinding
– at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, members heard a lecture from Scott Kehoe on how to photograph books
– Rick Cavasin gave a presentation at NBSS on his production of parchment and vellum
– Roger Barleee, Director of J. Hewit & Sons Tannery, in Edinburgh, Scotland gave two talks on leather production (one at Harvard University and one at Smith College)
Workshops:
– Carol Barton – Tunnel Books
– Terry Buckley – Dyeing and Staining Leather
– Monique Lallier – Edge Treatments
– Elizabeth Morse – Pressure Sensitive Tape Removal
– Richard Horton – Leaf Structures for Photo Albums
Other Events:
– tour to the Library and Papermaking and Bookbinding Studio at Rhode Island School of Design

1996
Lectures:
– Joe Newman gave a talk on Mary Crease Sears, the first American master-bookbinder of the Arts and Crafts Movement in Boston
– during a meeting at NEDCC a panel discussion on “Ethics and Standards in Bookbinding” included the following panelists: Nancy Schrock (Conservator and Consultant to major libraries), Nancy Southworth (edition and fine binder), Paul Parisi (President of Acme Bookbinding Co.) and Karl Eberth (binder in private practice) with Sam Ellenport as moderator
– Bill Streeter gave a presentation of his research on copy presses, beginning with James Watt’s 1780 letterpress copying machine and ending with Chester Carlson’s copying machine of 1938
Workshops:
– Betsy Palmer Eldridge taught a workshop of variations on supported and unsupported sewing methods at NEDCC
– Nicholas Pickwoad – Writing Condition and Treatment Reports

1995
Lectures:
– David Ferris, Curator of Rare Books, spoke about notable bindings from the collection
– Monona Rossol – “Hazardous Materials – Health and Safety in your Studio”
– Sue Allen – “Connoisseurship of 19thc. Bookbindings”

1994
Lectures:
– Elaine Koretsky spoke about Chinese papermaking and demonstrated techniques she learned during a trip to China
– Robert Hauser – “Preservation of Collections: Programs and Disasters”
Workshops:
– Barbara Meier-Husby – Long-Fiber Mending of Book-leaf Materials
Other Events:
– studio tour of the Carriage House Handmade Paper Works

1993
Lectures:
– Brian Allen – “Letterforms: From Stonecut to Computer – an illustrated journey through the history of written communication in western culture”
Workshops:
– Julia Puissant – The Restoration and Conservation of Parchment
Other Events:
– Chapter set up a Help Line for production binders who are backed up with work and might like assistance from a second-year NBSS student, graduate of the program or other qualified binder
– a guided tour of the P.T. Barnum Museum to see the exhibit “Pop! Goes the Book”, an event co-sponsored with the NY Chapter
– visit to the Golgonooza Letter Foundry, specialists in hot metal typographic design and composition

1992
Lectures:
– Frank Mowery – “Form and Function, the Logic of German Bookbinding”
– Harry Duncan of the Cummington Press was invited to speak on an exhibition of Cummington Press books in the Robert Frost Library at Amherst College
– David Bourbeau repeated his Standard’s presentation on “Mastering the refinements of case bookbindings”
Workshops:
– Deborah Evetts – Gold Tooling
Other Events:
– tour of Acme Bindery

1991
Lectures:
– Nancy Jacoby – “The Varnishing World of Japanese Handmade Papers”
– Scott Vile, proprietor of Ascensius Press presented a slide lecture on the history and predecessors of his press: Southworth, Authoenson, Shagbark and Ascensius Presses
– Sherelyn Ogden – “Preservation Options for Scrapbook and Album Formats”
Workshops:
– Hedi Kyle – Oriental Binding Structures
– two workshops were designed around the NEGBW 10th Anniversary exhibit: a 2-day workshop on Decorated papers and marbling on fabric with Nancy Leavitt and a 4-day workshop on Calligraphy with Maude Olsen
– Joe Newman – Rebacking
– Timothy Hasten – Archival Matting
– Daniel Kelm – Chemistry for Book Workers

1990
Lectures:
– Nicholas Pickwoad – “Stained Decoration of 17th and 18thc. Bookbinding”
– Dr. Sydney Berger – “Antiquarian book trade and the perils of evaluating books”
– Roger Stoddard – “William Gowans, a 19thc. Antiquarian Bookseller”
Workshops:
– Hugo Peller gave two workshops at North Bennet Street School on making a small book and “pop-up” box with onlay decoration
– Monique Lallier also gave a workshop at NBSS
Other Events:
– chapter members met at the studio of Arno Werner to celebrate his 91st birthday
– members of NEGBW went to England during an exchange visit with the Society of Bookbinders and Book Restorers

1989
Lectures:
– Timothy Barrett spoke about his research in Japanese and Western paper
Other Events:
– Eight members from the Society of Bookbinders and Book Restorers visited the chapter and made visits throughout New England ending their trip with a potluck dinner at the home of Don Glaister and Suzanne Moore

1988
Lectures:
– John Dreyfus spoke about connection between printing and the invention of spectacles
– Janet Sweig spoke about contemporary artists’ books at Rhode Island School of Design
Workshops:
– Peter Geraty – Oriental Book Structures
– Hugo Peller – Pop-Boxes and Gold Tooling & Leather Decoration Techniques
Other Events:
– Tour of the conservation lab to Sterling Memorial Library at Yale University and exhibit viewing of Eccentric Books
– Dorothy Minkowski gave a tour and spoke about the special collections at Clark University’s Goddard Library with an emphasis on fore edge painting

1987
Lectures:
– Don Glaister and Fritz Eberhart present their approach to design binding
Other Events:
– Tour of the storage facilities and conservation lab at New Bedford Whaling Museum to view the extensive conservation project of 1,000 logbooks treated by Robert Hauser
– Meeting at Carriage House Handmade Papers followed by tour of studio and slide show presentation by Elaine and Donna Koretsky making paper in Burma
– panel discussion with members Carol Blinn, Suzanne Moore, Joe Newman and Don Glaister on work in National Guild exhibit Eighty Years Later
– tour of new bindery facilities at North Bennet Street School given by Mark Esser
– Film viewing of Robert Baart’s Gold Beating: The Making of Gold Leaf, followed by demonstrations from Daniel Kelm, Joe Newman, Peter Geraty and Suzanne Moore

1986
Lectures:
– Mr. Niyazi Sayin spoke about Turkish Ebru
– Daniel and Babetta Gehnrich talked about the German apprenticeship system and examples of their work
– Roderick “Rocky” Stinehour spoke on the history of printing
Workshops:
– Hugo Peller – Edge decoration and Vellum Techniques
– Ole Olsen – Paste Paper Decoration
Other Events:
– Third Annual Book Workers Olympics
– Members discuss and critique work in exhibit at the American Antiquarian Society

1985
Lecture:
– Sue Allen gave a slide show presentation on Victorian Publishers Binding
Other Events:
– Meeting at the Boston Athenaeum followed by a special viewing of an exhibit at the Houghton Library on the work of Arno Werner
– Meeting held at the Herter Center in Brighton, Massachusetts

1984
Other Events:
– Kathryn Gerlach hosted members in her studio for a meeting at The Old Mill in Shaftsbury, Vermont
– Meeting at the Abbey of Regina Laudis with host and presenter Mother Agnes Shaw on the topic of cut leather
– Don Glaister and Suzanne Moore host the Second Annual Book Workers Olympics in Westhampton

1983
Lecture:
– Julie Stackpole spoke about the history of binding from the 19th century to the present; presentation was based on collections at the Bodleian Library
Other Events:
– The Chapter served as a local host and planning committee for the Annual Standards of Excellence Seminar which took place at the Boston Public Library
– First Annual Bookbinding Olympics took place at Heraldry Bindery in Northampton and was hosted by Bill and Elaine Streeter

1982
Lecture:
– Don Glaister spoke about his bindings

1981
Other Events:
– Meeting at Northeast Document Conservation Center where Sherelyn Ogden gave a slide show presentation on a binding treatment at the lab in addition to a tour of the facilities
– Meeting at the Rare Book Room of Smith College
– Meeting at Central Connecticut State University

1980
Other Events:
– Meeting at One Cottage Street with slide show presentations and tours from Carol Blinn, Claudia Cohen, Daniel Kelm, Gray Parrot and Alan Robinson
– Potluck supper with Danish bookbinder Ole Olsen followed by a slide show presentation at Don Glaister’s home