In This Issue:

Annual Meeting Report - Jennifer Rosner Exhibition Opportunity - Philadelphia & Venice The Page Illuminates: Book Highlights from the Internet - Valeria Kremser Upcoming Workshop with Graham Watson Todd Pattison to Speak at the Library Company in May Calendar of Upcoming Events

Pressing Matter
April, 2011

The Publication of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers

From our Chair: JenniFer rosner

The Delaware Valley Chapter held its Annual Meeting on March 10, 2011. Thirteen members braved the rainy weather to attend. After spending a little time catching up and meeting some new members, we sat down and each officer gave a brief report. I was happy to announce that we are no longer the smallest chapter and that we have 45 members. I am even happier to tell you how wrong I was. We actually have 50 members! That is an all-time record! You can see a list of new members in this newsletter. I also announced an upcoming lecture that DVC member Todd Pattison will give on May 31. It is titled: How do you Bind 3,000 Books in a Day? Benjamin Bradley and the Art of Manufacturing Publishers Cloth Binding. This event will be cosponsored by the Library Company. We are also in the process of scheduling a tour of the Winterthur Library Conservation Lab either in May or June, so watch for details on that. Secretary/Treasurer Alice Austin reported that our finances are good. We have a balance of $3577.07, a gain of $350 over last year. We are expecting a few new expenses this year. We may upgrade our website and have it hosted on the main GBW server with all the benefits that would go along with that. Also, we may pitch in on the expense (along with the other chapters) of adding the ability to pay for workshops online. Alice also announced an exciting exhibit opportunity both here and in Venice! The details on that are also in this newsletter. Denise Carbone, our Programs Co-Chair, told us of two workshops being planned. The first - coming up fast - will be Graham Watson teaching wire-edge bindings on April 16 & 17 (again, see the details in this newsletter). The other will be with new DVC member Chela Metzger in the fall and she will teach about early stationary bindings made with lacing and ticketing. Newsletter Chair Sharon Hildebrand started her report by thanking several people for their help in getting the newsletter back on track. Valeria Kremser and Nancy Nitzberg made major contributions to recent newsletters. Sharon also thanked Jon Snyder (Alices husband) for his time and expertise helping us with our website. Sharon has put together a calendar and her goal is to put out a newsletter every other month. If you would like to contribute in this endeavor, Sharon welcomes your help. We ended our meeting with a fun game. Alice made enough accordion books for each of us to have one. We had one minute to make a drawing on the first page and then we passed it to the person on our right. That person had 30 seconds to look at the drawing, cover it, and one minute to re-draw it. Or maybe I should say attempt to re-draw it. This game is often called the Progressive Book because of how the drawings change to something barely recognizable from the first one, kind of like Whisper Down the Lane. It was lots of fun! Jennifer Rosner Chapter Chair

WelCome neW members!

Chela Metzger, Winterthur, DE Lisa Heller, Philadelphia, PA Emily Martin, Iowa City, IA Valeria Kremser, Philadelphia, PA Alicia Bailey, Denver, CO Cathy DeForest, Ashland, OR Maria Pisano, Plainsboro, NJ

DelaWare Valley Chapter oFFiCers

Jennifer Rosner Alice Austin Hedi Kyle Denise Carbone Sharon Hildebrand dvcgbw@verizon.net amaustin@mac.com hedikyle@comcast.net dcarbone@amphilsoc.org shildebrand@mac.com

The Page IllumInaTes:

book highlights From the internet

Since starting this column, I have been to read an inordinate amount of blogs about books. One that I have recently subscribed to and that stands out for its simplicity is bookshelfporn.com. You may imagine a scantily clad woman draped over a leather chair in front of bookshelves filled with leather gold tooled volumes, but bookshelfporn.com is A photo blog collection of all the best bookshelf photos from around the world for people who *heart* bookshelves. Bookshelfporn.com, like many blogs, is submitter driven. Subscribers can submit their own photos or suggest photos from another website. The site includes images that range from shelves that are color coded, symmetrically filled, decorative antique wood, to invisible. One of may favorite images was feature on March 8, 2011. The image shows a white room where the bottom right corner of the wall appears to have been forced open by a mountain of books that have coming spilling in from another room. So if you need some shelves for books sake, check out bookshelfporn.com Valeria Kremser Box Turtle Press http://www.boxturtlepress.com

Push & Store Cabinet from bookshelfporn.com

photographs

From the

annual meeting

Here are some of the results from the Progressive Book game we played at the conclusion of the Annual Metting on March 10th. We all enjoyed seeing the transformations our drawings took as we passed our books from person to person around the room. This is a great party game!

mark

your

CalenDars - toDD pattison

to

speak

Todd Pattison will be in Philadelphia on May 31st to deliver his talk; How do you Bind 3,000 Books in a Day? Benjamin Bradley and the Art of Manufacturing Publishers Cloth Bindings. GBW member Todd Pattison studied bookbinding with Fred Jordan in New York state in the 1970s and 1980s and continued his studies with Hugo Peller and Edwin Heim in Ascona, Switzerland. He has an Art History degree from Nazareth College and a Masters in Library Science from the University of Alabama. Todd was senior book conservator at the Northeast Document Conservation Center for nineteen years and is currently the Harvard College Library Collections Conservator. A reception will precede the talk at 5:30. The talk will begin at 6 p.m. This event is co-sponsored with the Library Company.

upComing Workshop

An Introduction to Wire-Edge and Gutter-Wire Bindings - with Graham Watson April 16-17, 2011 9:30 am 5 pm $200 members $250 non-members (and a small materials fee yet to be determined) The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 This workshop will demonstrate the fundamental methods and materials for two related binding structures: the wireedge binding and gutter-wire binding, and show a variety of examples based upon these techniques. The wire-edge structure is a versatile approach to binding single sheets or boards in a codex form which opens freely and lies flat while open. The gutter-wire structure offers similar advantages with more traditional folded signatures. The two basic methods can also be combined, offering creative possibilities for working with a mixture of signatures and single sheets, attaching unconventional cover materials, or integrating dissimilar materials in one structure. Workshop participants will complete a model which incorporates both the wireedge and gutter-wire methods in one piece, providing practice with the essentials of each, and a glimpse of the possibilities of using both methods in tandem. Tools and materials particular to these structures will be discussed, as well as the fabrication of jigs and other aids which would be helpful when considering an edition utilizing these methods. Graham Watson is a book artist who translates experiences within nature to a reflective contemplation of humanitys interactions with our environment, and the perception of place defined within a greater natural order. His work is informed by interests in the natural sciences, and a background which includes music, graphic design, photography, and writing. Graham holds an MFA in book arts and printmaking from the University of the Arts, and a BA in graphic design from American University.

DelaWare Valley Chapter CalenDar 2011

April 16-17 May 31

Workshop: Wire-Edge Bindings with Graham Watson Lecture: How do you Bind 3,000 Books in a Day? Benjamin Bradley and the Art of Manufacturing Publishers Cloth Bindings with Todd Pattison. A reception will held at 5:30, and the talk will begin at 6 p.m. Co-sponsored with the Library Company. Tour - Winterthur library conservation lab and gardens. Fast, Friendly, Free: Tara OBrien will tell us about her visit to Conservation Labs in LA. Members Exhibition: Philadelphia Artists Books Travel to Venice Curated by Alice Austin Athenaeum of Philadelphia; Opening on June 3 from 5-7pm Members Exhibition: Philadelphia Artists Books Travel to Venice Curated by Alice Austin Venice, Italy Workshop: Structure as Decoration: an Exploration of Early Stationery Bindings Made with Lacing and Tacketing - with Chela Metzger

May (?) Spring/Summer June 3-30 October 5-28 Fall

Delaware Valley Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers Members Exhibition: Philadelphia Artists Books Travel to Venice
Athenaeum of Philadelphia June 3 - 30 Opening June 3, 5-7 pm Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, Venice, Italy October 5 - 28, 2011
The International School of Graphic Arts has been active in Venice for forty years. The programs cover various topics, such as printing of art, graphic design, drawing and painting, and artists books. The gallery of the school organizes a full calendar of exhibitions and meetings, related to the topics covered in workshops and classrooms. We are excited to extend an invitation to participate in an exhibit that will open in Philadelphia and then travel to Venice, Italy. As a member, you may submit ONE book. All forms of the book are welcome - there is no theme small and lightweight is best, dimensions no bigger than 10 inches in either direction - since the books will be handcarried to Venice. As artist-in-residence at the Scuola, Alice Austin will curate, transport, and install the exhibit. A catalog will be designed for the exhibit. See below for details about your image submission. Work must be mailed or hand-delivered to: Alice Austin The Library Company of Philadelphia 1314 Locust Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 If you are mailing your book, please send it in a reusable container. Books DUE May 31, 2011 Entry Fee: $15 check payable to The Guild of Book Workers (the fee is waived for students) Return of books: mid November You will be contacted about retrieving your book at the Library Company if you are in the area. Otherwise arrangements will be made to mail your book. Entry Form: Print out one copy for your records and include a signed copy with your book along with your entry fee Artist Name:________________________________________________________________ Press Name:____________________________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________________________________ Phone Number (s): home:______________________ cell:_______________________________ Email:__________________________________________ Title of Book:____________________________________________________________________ Media:___________________________________________________________________________ Dimensions: (centimeters) (closed) H x W x D ___________________________________________ Date:___________________________________ You must submit a JPEG image to be used in the catalog. Contact Jon_Snyder@mac.com for details of image size and uploading. Include in subject heading: Venice GBW exhibit. Please sign below: I understand that the image of my book will be reproduced in the catalog to promote the exhibit Philadelphia Artists Books Travel to Venice. The Delaware Valley Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers, The Library Company of Philadelphia, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, and the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica cannot be held responsible for theft or damage. All efforts will be taken to insure the best care of your book. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Email your intent to enter by April 15 to: amaustin@mac.com Not a member? You can join the Guild of Book Workers online, $85 or $30 student with ID. Make sure to add $10 for the Delaware Valley Chapter to become a local member.