Here is a short 3 minute video of how a late 19th Century Bible was restored, with a surprise ending.
How Book Restoration Is Done
Book restoration can be divided into four broad categories: simple repairs to the outside of the book to stabilize the book for future light duty use; spine backing with new material to recreate a strong functional binding, this is the most common repair; a full replacement binding, using either leather or bookcloth; and finally as catchall category for a million odd ball tasks like dust jacket and paper repairs, gold replacement on book titles; dyeing old book covers to like new condition and occasionally mold remediation.
Kate graduates from apprentice to craftsman with this outstanding complete restoration of a 1716 bible including new tooled leather cover.
Madeline (lower left) now has her own restoration business, as does Ruth (upper right), Kate (upper left) now works for a major [private library doing restoration work. Each spent approximately three years training with us.
Leather reback restoration of two volumes of Gilles History of Greece.
One of our work stations.
Madeline applying end papers
A spine repaired with Japanese paper before being colored.
Dave coloring the spine with acrylics.
Our monster size board shear. The most heavily used piece of equipment in the shop.
Removing an old leather spine.
