Resources

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers."
Charles W Eliot

Here are some of my favorite books about bookmaking and books, as well as links. I've divided the Resources into ones written directly For Children and ones For Adults. I prefer to buy my books locally but I know not everyone is as lucky as I am to live in a town with not one but two independent bookstores. Clicking on the highlighted titles will take you to amazon.com. Titles that are not highlighted are out of print. You can look for them at your local library or used bookstores.

For Children

Instructional Books
Bookworks: Making Books by Hand, Gwenyth Swain. Minneapolis: CarolRhoda Books, 1995.
A book for kids with a good historical introduction and clear directions for making several forms of book, as well as paper making, marbling, and printmaking techniques.

Making Books That Fly, Fold, Wrap, Hide, Pop Up, Twist and Turn, Gwen Diehn. Asheville, NC: Lark Books, 1998.
Series of bookmaking projects with historical information interspersed.

The Bookmaking Kit, Ann Morris and Peter Linenthal. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2001. The book has directions for lots of books, from the simple (Easy Fastener Book) to the more complicated (Button Closure Clothbound Book). Materials are provided for five of the projects.

Making Mini Books, Sherri Haab. Klutz Press, 2002.
A fun book from Klutz Press with lots of ideas for making small books and materials to help you get started.

How To Make Pop-Ups, Joan Irvine. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1987.
Basics of pop-up construction in card format with information on how to assemble them in book form at the end. Also by Joan Irvine: How to Make Super Pop-ups and How to Make Holiday Pop-ups

Pop-O-Mania: How to Create Your Own Pop-Ups, Barbara Valenta. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
What makes this book special is that it is a pop-up book that teaches you how to make pop-ups.

Books About Book History
General
Books And Libraries, Jack Knowlton. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1991.
Children's book on the history of books and libraries. Emphasis on Western forms from Mesopotamia and Egypt to Europe and colonial New England.

Book, Karen Brookfield. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993.
Part of Eyewitness Books series. Excellent photographs make it a good visual resource to have in the classroom.

"Paper" Through the Ages, Shaaron Cosner. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1984.
This easy chapter book introduces children to writing materials of the past-stone, clay, papyrus, wax, parchment, and paper- and the people who used them.

The History of Making Books. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1996.
Well illustrated interactive book with sections on Ancient writing, Asian Ingenuity, Arabic Treasures, Parchment, Illuminated Manuscripts, Paper, Printing, Bookbinding, and more.

Writing and Printing, Steve and Patricia Harrison. London: BBC Educational Publishing, 1991.
Part of the BBC Fact Finders series. This is a concise overview with a double page spread for each topic from cave painting to the way books are printed today.

Scrawl! Writing in Ancient Times, Geography Department. Minneapolis: Runestone Press, a division of Lerner Publications Company, 1994.
This well illustrated and wide ranging guide to the early book includes chapters on the development of writing, writing materials, papyrus, parchment, and paper, the scribes, and the survival of ancient literature.

Writing
Alphabetical Order: How the Alphabet Began, Tiphaine Samoyault. New York: Viking, 1996.
This is a well illustrated guide to the development of the alphabet and the alphabets of the world, including Arabic, Hebrew, Latin, Cyrillic, Indian, and Japanese. as well as sign language, Morse Code, and Braille.

Europe
Bibles and Bestiaries: A Guide to Illuminated Manuscripts, Elizabeth B. Wilson, The Pierpont Morgan Library. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994.
I love this book. It's clearly written and beautifully illustrated with examples from manuscripts in the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York. The book includes a detailed description of the process of making an illuminated manuscript from making the vellum to binding the book and information on the "Best-Selling Books" of the Middle Ages, such as Gospels, Psalters, Herbals, and Books of Hours.

The Duke and the Peasant: Life in the Middle Ages, Sister Wendy Beckett. New York: Prestel, 1997.
This book shows the twelve illustrations for the months of the year from the well- known medieval manuscript, Les Tres Riches Heures which was commissioned and owned by the Duc de Berry. The pictures are commented upon by Sister Wendy Beckett of PBS fame. I found her frequent descriptions of how much fun the working peasants were having in contrast to the miserable nobles who were feasting and lolling about rather strange.

Breaking into Print: Before and After the Invention of the Printing Press, Stephen Krensky. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1996.
Breaking into Print tells of the evolution of the book from the hand-lettered manuscripts of the monasteries through the development of the printing press to today. The main text is supplemented by additional facts on the side margins. It is cleanly laid out and nicely illustrated but I found the transition from block printing to movable type confusing. There is a timeline of the history of printing at the back.

Johann Gutenberg and the Amazing Printing Press, Bruce Koscielniak. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
This lively picture book presents lots of information about the process of printing and its development by Gutenberg in a friendly humorous way.

Johann Gutenberg: Master of Modern Printing, Michael Pollard. Woodbridge, CT: Blackbirch Press, Inc., 2001.
Readable account of Gutenberg's work as a printer set in the context of his time with looks back in history to printing in ninth century China and forward to the use of computer technology today. Illustrated with period illustrations.

Fine Print: A Story about Johann Gutenberg, Joann Johansen Burch. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, Inc., 1991.
This short chapter book tells how Gutenberg invented movable type. It gives an excellent view of city life in fifteenth-century Germany, as well as information on handwritten books, the making of paper, and the printing process.

Gutenberg, Leonard Everett Fisher. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1993.
This picture book gives a little background on printing history, but concentrates on the story of Gutenberg: his experiments with printing and the trials of his business life which included scheming partners and bankruptcies.

Picture Books and Fiction Relating to Books
Anna the Bookbinder, Andrea Cheng, illustrated by Ted Rand. New York: Walker and Company, 2003.
This is a warm and touching story of family love with lots of details about bookbinding. Anna's Papa is a binder with a bindery in his basement where Anna spends much of her time. He does quality work and works hard to compete with big binderies with lots of employees. Anna surprises her father by stitching an important commission when her pregnant mother goes into labor.

St. Jerome and the Lion, Margaret Hodges. New York: Orchard Books, 1991.
I chose this picture book because Jerome is the patron saint of librarians. He governed a monastery in Bethlehem by day and translated the Bible into Latin at night. The story itself has nothing to do with books but it is well told and beautifully illustrated by Barry Moser.

Marguerite Makes A Book, Bruce Robertson. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 1999.
This beautifully illustrated picture book tells of Marguerite, a girl in medieval Paris. Her father illuminates books and she helps him finish an important commission of a book of Hours for Lady Isabelle.

The Flame of Peace, Deborah Nourse Lattimore. New York: Harper Trophy, 1987.
A young Aztec boy, Two Flint, braves nine evil demons and brings the magic flame of peace to his people. While this isn't about books, the illustrations in this picture book were inspired by and are in the style of Aztec manuscripts. A nice touch is the page numbers which are written in Aztec as well as Arabic numerals.

The Sailor Who Captured the Sea, Deborah Nourse Lattimore. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991.
In this picture book about the Book of Kells from Ireland, three brothers leave their trades to become scribes in the belief that the completion of the book will save their people from Viking invaders. The book is out of print but the story can be found in the collection, The Sailor Who Captured the Sea and Other Celtic Tales, published in 2002 by HarperTrophy.

The Man Who Loved Books, Jean Fritz. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1981.
This picture book is the true story of St. Columba who founded the monastery on Iona which produced many books. It is told in Jean Fritz's lively style and simply but beautifully illustrated by Trina Shart Hyman.

Across A Dark and Wild Sea, Don Brown. Brookfield, Ct: Roaring Brook Press, 2002. Another story about St.Columba also known by his Irish name Columcille.

The Shipwrecked Sailor: An Egyptian Tale with Hieroglyphs, Tamara Bower. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000. Based on a story found in an ancient papyrus scroll, this picture book tells of a shipwreck on the island of the soul and a happy homecoming. One line on each page has been translated into hieroglyphs. The illustrations were inspired by papyrus scrolls.

James Printer: A Novel of Rebellion, Paul Samuel Jacobs. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997
This children's novel tells the story of James Printer, a Nipmuc Indian and apprentice to Samuel Green, master printer at Harvard College in 1675. Told in the first person by Samuel Green's eleven year old son Bartholomew, it has lots of details of the printer's world in the midst of a dramatic story of King Philip's War.

Links for Kids
Make an Artist Book
Clear directions for making an eight page book from a paper bag.

Joan Irvine
The friendly site of Joan Irvine, author of How to Make Pop-ups. Includes directions on how to make a pop-up.

Writing in Ancient Civilizations
Site on Ancient Civilizations with information on writing in the Near East, Egypt, Greece, and Rome

Leaves of Gold: Treasures of Manuscript Illumination from Philadelphia Collections
This is a thorough site, written for kids with a section on how manuscripts are made, a slide show of manuscript pages and descriptions, a glossary of terms, and directions to make your own medieval manuscript.

For Adults

Instructional Books
For Teaching in the Classroom
Multicultural Books To Make And Share, Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord. Newburyport, MA: makingbooks.com, 2004.
Sixteen projects from four continents cover topics across the curriculum. Historical information, detailed directions, suggestions for variations and readings to use along with the projects are included. Revised edition of original book from Scholastic available from the Book Store at makingbooks.com.

Super Pop-up Reports for American History: Complete How-to's, Project Ideas, and Reproducible Templates to Help Kids Showcase Their Research in a Dazzling Way, Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord. New York: Scholastic Professional Books, 2000.
Step-by-step directions to create a three-dimensional book that is like a building with four rooms, each with a two walls and a floor. Also includes a Report Planner and ideas and reproducible templates for eight topics in American history.

A Book of One's Own: Developing Literacy through Making Books, Paul Johnson. Portsmouth, NH: Hienemann, 1998.
Paul Johnson is a well-known English educator who integrates the book arts into the curriculum. His work has both artistic creativity and educational theory. As in all his books, it is well illustrated with children's work.

Literacy Through the Book Arts, Paul Johnson. Portsmouth, NH: Hienemann, 1993.
This book expands on the ideas and forms presented in A Book of One's Own.

Pictures & Words Together: Children Illustrating and Writing Their Own Books, Paul Johnson. Portsmouth, NH: Hienemann, 1997.
This book focuses on the content with information on writing and illustrating. It covers both the big picture- the narrative line and overall concept and the little- techniques for drawing people and perspective. It's deep and thorough.

"A Tale of Two Roads," Craig Hinshaw. Social Studies and the Young Learner, Volume 10, Number 3, January/ February 1998.
Excellent article on a fourth grade project based on the wood block prints of the Japanese artist Horoshige who documented his travel along the Tokaido Road. Students used printmaking and haiku to study the Tokaido Road in Japan and a local interstate. The resulting work was displayed in an accordion book.

Teaching Hand Papermaking: A Classroom Guide, Gloria Zmolek. Cedar Rapids, IA: Zpaperpress, 1995.
I've never made paper with kids but I taught with Gloria Zmolek at the Book Arts Jamboree in 1999 and she was terrific. The book contains clear directions on how to make paper in the classroom plus ways to integrate paper in the arts and basic curricula.

For Making On Your Own
Cover To Cover, Shereen La Plantz. Asheville, NC: Lark Books, 1995.
The first of a new crop of books about bookmaking, covering many simple and complex book forms. Lots of photos of work by different artists- you'll be inspired.

The Art and Craft of Handmade Books, Shereen LaPlantz. New York: Lark Books, 2001.
Shereen's new book which expands upon the first. Interesting book forms and lots of photos of books for inspiration.

Handmade Books And Cards, Jean Kropper. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications, 1997.
Another book that offers a nice introduction to simple book forms and cards. Clear directions and lots of photos of work by different artists. Again, the photos can be as worthwhile as the instructions.

Creating Handmade Books, Alisa Golden. New York: Sterling Publishing Co, Inc, 1998.
This book takes a different approach with all the work included by the author. A wide range of simple and more complex forms with clear instructions and personal reflections.

Books, Boxes & Wraps, Marilyn Webberley and JoAn Forsyth. Kirkland, WA: Bifocal Publishing, 1995.
No color photos in this one, but it's no less of a book. Illustrated with charming line drawings, it contains a wealth of different forms with clear instructions and diagrams.

Creative Bookbinding, Pauline Johnson. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1990.
This reprint of a 1963 book is an oldie but goodie. This was the main resource when I started. Lots of information on simple bindings, folders, and a large section on printing techniques for covers and endpapers.

Japanese Bookbinding, Instructions from a Master Craftsman, Kojiro Ikegami. New York: Weatherhill, 1986.
Beautiful book, clear instructions with photographs, many styles of Japanese bindings. The real thing from a Japanese master.

Non-Adhesive Binding, Keith A. Smith. Fairport, NY: The Sigma Foundation, 1990. order from Keith A. Smith, 22 Cayuga St, Rochester, NY 14620, http://net2.netacc.net/~ksbooks.
An excellent resource with many simple, combination, and complex bindings and a focus on the making of books not just the binding.

Books, Boxes, And Portfolios, Franz Zeier. New York: Design Press, 1990.
Basic techniques of cutting, folding and pasting, emphasis on boxes and portfolios, but information about books as well.

Making Memory Boxes, Barbara Mauriello. Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers, 2000.
I've found some of Rockport's books to be visually attractive but weak in the how-to department. Barbara's book breaks tradition and is full of detailed directions. I had the good fortune of taking a weekend workshop with her this past spring and it was wonderful.

Books About Book History
General
The Book Before Printing: Ancient, Medieval And Oriental, David Diringer. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1982.
Originally published in 1953 as The Hand-Produced Book, this reference book is wide in scope, dense with information, and a good resource.

The Book: The Story of Printing and Bookmaking, Douglas C. McMurtrie. New York: Dorset Press, 1971.
This reprint of a 1943 book begins with Primitive Human Records and goes through to Modern Typography. Gutenberg comes along about a quarter of the way through the book, so the biggest focus is on printed books.

The Book on the Bookshelf, Henry Petroski. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999.
This book is more about the storage and presentation of books than the books themselves but there is lots of fascinating information about the books as well. I found the early chapters from Egyptian scrolls to chained medieval books the most useful.

Writing
The Story of Writing, Andrew Robinson. London: Thames & Hudson, 1995.
This book has three sections: How Writing Works, Extinct Writing: Cuneiform, Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Linear B, Mayan Glyphs, Undeciphered Scripts, and Living Writing: The First Alphabet, New Alphabets from Old, Chinese Writing, Japanese Writing. There are lots of illustrations.

The Story of Writing, Donald Jackson. New York: Taplinger Publishing Co, 1981.
This book is on the Roman alphabet was written by a well-known English calligrapher who is Scribe to Her Majesty the Queen. The main focus is on the calligraphic hands from the Dark Ages through the Renaissance. The history is enhanced by his perspective as a working scribe.

A History of Writing, Albertine Gaur. New York: Cross River Press, 1992.
This book has the broadest scope with chapters on The Fertile Crescent, Ancient Mediterranean, Pre-Columbian, Far East, Semitic, Indian and Southeast Asian, Greek and European. It also covers social attitudes towards writing and literacy.

Asia
Writing Materials of the East, Albertine Gaur. London: The British Library Board, 1979.
A slim book focusing on the surface materials used for writing with some nice illustrations of books and writing from India, China, Burma, and Sumatra.

The Story of Chinese Books, Lui Guojun and Zheng Rusi. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1985.
History of Chinese books from oracle bones through slats, scrolls, and accordions to sewn bindings with information on block printing and movable type. A good resource but hard to find. Printed in the People's Republic of China.

Chinese Traditional Bookbinding: A Study of Its Evolution and Techniques, Edward Martinique. Chinese Materials Center, 1983.
A history of Chinese books from slats to scrolls to accordions to sewn bindings. Interesting illustrations. A good resource but hard to find.

Aztec and Maya
The Art of the Maya Scribe, Michael D Coe and Justin Kerr. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Publishers, 1997.
This is a big beautiful art book that is filled with information with chapters on the Maya script, the scribes, the tools and materials, and the books.

The Aztec and Maya Papermakers, Victor Wolfgang von Hagen. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1999.
This is a reprint of a 1944 book. The focus is on the importance of amate or bark paper in the Aztec and Maya world and how it was made. The story is told in a narrative style that I didn't expect. There are lots of good stories and interesting tidbits in this book.

The Codex Nuttall: A Picture Manuscript from Ancient Mexico, Zelia Nuttall, ed. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1975.
Facsimile of a Mixtec manuscript

The Codex Borgia: A full Color restoration of the Ancient Mexican Manuscript, Gisele Diaz and Alan Rodgers. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1993.
Facsimile of a restoration of a pre-Columbian manuscript from about 1400 in central Mexico.

Europe
A History of Illuminated Manuscripts, Christopher De Hamel. London: Phaidon Press, 1986.
This well illustrated and thorough book about illuminated manuscripts from the 7th to the 16th century is organized by the uses of the books: for missionaries, emperors, monks, students, aristocrats, everybody, priests, and collectors.

Scribes and Illuminators, Christopher De Hamel. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1992.
This short book focuses on how the books were made. There are three sections: Paper- and Parchment-Makers, Ink-Makers and Scribes, and Illuminators, Bookbinders, and Booksellers.

The Illuminated Manuscript, Janet Backhouse. Oxford: Phaidon, 1979.
This is a well illustrated and explained survey of the illuminated manuscript from the seventh to the sixteenth century.

Painted Prayers: The Book of Hours in Medieval and Renaissance Art, Roger S. Wieck. New York: George Braziller, Inc. in association with The Pierpont Morgan Library, 1997.
This is the catalog to accompany an exhibit called "Medieval Bestseller: The Book of Hours." There is detailed commentary on all the illustrations.

Time Sanctified: The Book of Hours in Medieval Art and Life, Roger S. Weick. Baltimore: George Braziller, Inc. in association with The Walters Art Museum, 2001.
Illustrated with manuscripts from the collection of the Walters Art Museum, this book explores the Books of Hours in depth, with a detailed description of the contents, as well as their placement in the social and religious context of the time.

Links

Tutorials
Creating Artistic Books from the San Diego Museum of Art
Directions for seven different books and information about making paste paper and screen printing are available for free as downloadable pdfs.

Japanese Binding
Directions for a Japanese binding from an article originally published in Boy's Life magazine in October 1991.

Origami Book
Directions for making an origami book from The Bookmaking Kit from Chronicle books.

Robert Sabuda's Making Pop-ups is Easy
Pop-up book master, Robert Sabuda, gives directions and templates for making a variety of pop-ups including a birthday cake and butterfly.

Organizations and Links
Peter Verheyen's Book Arts Web
Links to a huge number of book arts sites- organizations, suppliers, schools, individual binders, calligraphy, letterpress printing, papermaking, tutorials, etc. I think it is THE place to start for book arts info on the web. Peter also runs an excellent Book Arts List for online communication about the book arts. Information on how to join is available on the site. There is also an Archive to look up past messages.

Book Information Website
Another site with lots of links plus a Book History Chronology.

Cecilia's Calligraphy, Lettering Art and Artist Books
A site from Australia focusing on calligraphy but with information on artists' books as well. Includes a Calligraphic and Book Arts World Travel Guide.

Boston Book Arts
Boston Book Arts was founded in 1999. I've enjoyed being a member. They have monthly meetings (except summer) with guest lectures, members sharing, and collection visits as well as occasional workshops. There is a variety of interests and levels within the group and everyone is friendly and welcoming. The website has news of the group, a member's showcase, links and a Buzz section with members' classes, exhibition news, etc.

Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild
Extensive links. Exhibitions and Collections gives access to historical and contemporary books, including the Book of Kells. Book Arts has a well-done introduction with informative pages on The Book, Vellum and Parchment, Papermaking, etc.

Center for Book Arts
Website of the country's first book arts center in New York City with information on events, classes, and membership.

Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts
Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts at Columbia College has exhibits and classes and offers an MFA program in Interdisciplinary Book and Paper Arts.

Newburyport Art Association
Although this is not specifically book arts, I can't leave out my local art organization. It has a wonderful gallery with large juried members' exhibits and Featured Artist shows, as well as a small gift shop.
65 Water Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
978.465.8769

Books and Journals
Book Central
103 Cortona Drive, San Ramon, CA 94583, 925.968.9299
Specializes in instructional books about the book arts. Excellent selection and service.

John Neal Bookseller
1833 Spring Garden Street, Greensboro, NC 27403, 800.369.9598
Specializes in books on calligraphy and the the book arts. You can order online or from their print catalog. John Neal also publishes Bound and Lettered and the Letter Arts Review.

dog eared magazine: A Journal of the Book Arts
A quarterly magazine on the book arts published by Kerrie Carbary. Each issue focuses on a different topic. Issues so far have included Photocopy Books, Folds, Altered Books, Metal Books, Zines, Miniature Books, and Sculptural Books. The website has information about the magazine, subscriptions, upcoming themes (she welcomes articles, reviews, and images of work), and opportunites for book artists.

Bound and Lettered
Bound and Lettered contains articles on Artists' Books, Bookbinding, Books for Kids, and Calligraphy and is published quarterly. It was established by Shereen LaPlantz, the author of Cover to Cover, as Tabellae Ansatae,

Umbrella
I am always excited when I see my blue copy of Umbrella in the mailbox and I invariably have read through it before I go to sleep. For 24 years, Judith Hoffberg has been publishing this wonderful magazine with an emphasis on artists' books, mail art, and Fluxus, but with a wide knowledge of the art world and an intrepid spirit.

Book Arts Classified
The Book Arts Classified is a quarterly publication containing ads for an assortment of books, paper, equipment, and supplies; as well as listings for conferences, workshops, exhibitions, and calls for entry. Subscribers use their free classified ads and listings (up to 50 words each issue) to buy, sell, trade, or just to communicate. The website also has information on The Book Arts Directory and The Book Arts Gallery which features an inspiring selection of artwork by book artists focusing on the environment, spirituality, and social justice.

Book History
The Art of Bookbinding
The complete volume of The Art of Bookbinding written by Joseph W. Zaehnsdorf in 1897 is here as well as Bookbinding and the Care of Books: A Handbook for Amateur Bookbinders and Librarians from 1902 and Bookbinding for Beginners from 1914.

The Illustrated Book: A Survey of Genres
Richard Minsky approaches commentary with the same intelligence and individuality he brings to making books. The works are grouped by interesting categories, such as cave paintings as self-publishing. This is a site by someone comfortable with the way the computer allows one to skip around with hyperlinks; it's not a straightforward outline approach.

Bookbinding from the International Dunhuang Project
A history of bookbinding in China illustrated with books found in the Caves of Dunhuang in 1900.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead
Site to accompany an exhibit of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Beautiful illustrations and informative text.

The Preparation of Palm Leaf Documents
Archived article from the Journal of Indian States History with information on the preparation of palm leaves for writing with drawings of writing implements and photos of pages.

Forerunners of Paper
Descriptions of materials used before paper, clay, bark, papyrus. If you "Continue the Tour" on the bottom of the page, it will lead you from the invention of paper through history to paper in our lives.

Individual Artist Sites
artistbooks.com
Website of Ed Hutchins, who creates editioned books that are both playful and profound. Some of his thoughts on what is a book and teaching are included on the site.

Jalex Books
Website of Jody Alexander who makes artist's books and blank books and teaches classes in Felton, CA. Little Farm Press
Site of Jane Coneen who makes charming miniature books on a variety of themes.

Mission Creek Press
Roberta Lavadour makes handmade papers from natural fibers in eastern Washington and wonderfully inventive artists books.

Emily Martin and the Naughty Dog Press
Emily Martin creates thought-provoking and humorous books in Iowa, including I Live in Iowa, How Can I Live in Iowa?, Yes, I Like living in Iowa.

Bridal Bookquet
I came across this page and found it utterly delightful. Kara Sjoblom-Bay's wedding bouquet was made up of handmade books by her friends from the Bay Area Book Artists. You can view the books here.

Where to Buy Art & Bookmaking Supplies
When I give workshops to teachers, I watch two things happening. I see them get ideas for working with their students and be thrilled about it. I also see them having lots of fun making books. People whose first words are "I'm not artistic; I'm not creative" find themselves having a grand time in the act of creation. While the focus of the workshops is always making books with kids, I try to mention that the teachers might want to make books for themselves as well.

Especially in workshops where we make journals, I watch teachers make really lovely books. I often think if they used art materials rather than kid and school friendly ones, their books would be even more special. I have compiled a short list of suppliers in the Boston area and on the internet. I have included mostly places I shop. My choices are often based on chance. If I deal with a supplier and have a good experience, I won't look further.

For those who are visiting art and paper stores for the first time, I have two cautions. One is that it can be dangerous to your pocketbook. Once you develop an appreciation of fine papers, a well stocked paper store is heaven and you want to bring a good sized piece of that heaven home. There is a wide range of prices but it's not like going to Staples and buying a ream of copy paper. The second problem occurs when you bring your paper home. Most art paper is sold in large sheets, with 19 x 25 being a common size. You then have to deal with storage and cutting. Since it is best stored flat, storage can take up space. There are some places that sell small sheets of art paper. If you will be concentrating on small books, you may want to consider starting with the smaller sheets.

Most of my workshops are in eastern Massachusetts so I have listed primarily stores in the greater Boston area as well as some online sites.

Daniel Smith
4150 First Street South, PO Box 84268
Seattle, WA 98124-5568
800.426.6740
Daniel Smith is an art supply company. They have an extensive selection of paper and a small bookmaking section, as well as paints, brushes, etc. Their catalog is terrific. It's a great reference. I haven't ordered from them recently, but I have always found their service excellent.

Paper Connection
66 Doyle Ave.
Providence, RI
1.877.434.1234
I first bought paper from Lauren, the owner, when she worked for a Japanese paper company in Boston. She specializes in Japanese papers, although she also carries handmade papers from Costa Rica, Nepal, and other locations. She is primarily a wholesaler but will sell to individuals if you place an order of $150 or more.

Paper Source
1810 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA
617.497.1077
Paper Source has an extensive selection of paper, some bookbinding materials, rubber stamps, and interesting stuff. They offer Book Arts workshops. There are also stores in Boston, Brookline, and Wellesley as well as around the country. Locations can be found on the website.

Rugg Road Paper
105 Charles St.
Boston, MA 02114
617.742.0002
Rugg Road started on Rugg Road in Allston as a papermaking studio. The current store sells handmade paper and an extensive selection of papers from around the world as well as a small selection of bookbinding materials. They have a selection of small size paper. They offer workshops in the Book Arts.

Charrette
Main Store:
31 Olympia Ave (off 128)
Woburn, MA
781.935.9657
Also has stores in Cambridge and Boston. They are not my first choice for paper and art supplies but their locations are convenient. The Woburn store has a bargain area in the back which can yield some interesting finds.

C.C. Lowell
258 Park Avenue
Worcester, MA 01609
508.757.7713
A friend of mine had an exhibit in the small gallery at the entrance to the store several years ago. I was delighted to find a well stocked art store with a wide paper selection inside. They carry the small Canson sheets and small selection of bookbinding materials. I try to stop by when I am teaching in Worcester.

Harcourt Bindery
51 Melcher St.
Boston, MA 02210
617.495.0235
Harcourt is a hand bindery in the Fort Point Channel area of Boston. They sell bookbinding materials as well.

Pearl Paint
579 Mass Ave (Central Square)
Cambridge, MA 02139
617.547.6600
I remember my first trip to Pearl Paint years ago at their original location on Canal Street in New York. I was overwhelmed. The selection was huge and the prices were good. Pearl has expanded outside the city and while the store in Cambridge isn't as large as Canal Street, it's worth a visit. The website lists other locations around the country.

Bookmakers International
6701B Lafayette Avenue
Riverdale, MD 20737
301.927.7787
There are other mail order book materials company but I chose Bookmakers by chance and found them very helpful. It's always nice to deal with people who don't make you feel stupid when you ask stupid questions.

Talas
I haven't ordered from them but their online catalog is extensive.

Dick Blick
PO Box 1267
Galesburg, IL 61402-1267
800.447.8192
A catalog packed with all kinds of art and craft materials including a good selection of papers. I'm only familiar with the catalog but you can find a listing of their 34 stores around the country on their website as well as online ordering.

New York Central Art Supply
62 Third Avenue @ 11th Street
New York City 10003
800.950.6111
New York Central has a terrific selection of paper. Much to my regret, I haven't been to their store in years, but I have ordered from them by mail and have found them to be very helpful. You can order their catalogs but not the products through their website.

Review of catalog and online retailers
Thorough reviews of major catalog and online retailers are presented on this site from Handprint. Service and shipping are noted as well as selection.

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© 1999-2021 Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord

skgaylord (at) makingbooks.com

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