Chained library

If you want to check out a chained library https://www.herefordcathedral.org/chained-library

Video (18.43) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWvHT8K0bRo

Limp vellum binding

I have been working on a how to guide for how to make a limp vellum binding, step by step guide with photos. This is now published here https://isabellwinter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/limp-vellum-how-to-bind.pdf

Significant research upgrade

I have completed a significant review and update of my documentation around my binding of the St Florian heraldry project. This research now includes substantial new research, information, reasonings for decisions and additional learnings from the 10 years since I bound this significant project. Included is a large body of tooling examples which may be of interest to people in its own right. Please enjoy.

Click to access binding-the-st-florian-heraldry-book-2025-v2-final.pdf

How to print a document so it can be bound

Tags

bookbinding, books

For people wanting to print documents that they can then fold, and bind into books or notebooks, word is easy as there is a print as booklet function. If, however you don’t have word and use a Mac that has pages etc I previously bought the app “booklet” which did this for me.

I have also recently discovered a free website https://online2pdf.com and you just need to set the option under layout, pdf page layout to: Booklet (in oder to bind a book), then under printer settings choose duplex printer – flip on short edge, check you are happy with rest then convert and it will give you a pdf that you can then print and bind.

Remember if doing this with large documents and you want to print into separate quires, separate the document into page 1-32, 33-64 … this will give you an 8 page quire (of 32 pages).

Limp Vellum recreation notes

I am very proud of my recreation of a limp vellum binding using goat vellum, alum tawed goat and top quality English paper. I will expand this into an actual how to guide, but for now here is my newly created notes and research documenting my example against extant examples from the Auckland public library special collections books.

Click to access limp-vellum-book-photos.pdf

Parchment manuscripts being recycled

While I was photographing various incunabula at the Auckland public library in 2011 I noticed some of the parchment fragments in a 4 book 15th century binding were different to any others I had come across in the rest of the library’s collection or others I had come across. I bought these fragments to the attention of the head librarian of the special collections team and it was agreed there was something different about these books. I was wrapt to see the following year in 2012 that it had been confirmed the fragments were 1200 years old and believed to be the earliest remains of western manuscripts held in the southern hemisphere.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/1200-year-old-parchment-found-inside-auckland-library-book/P46PJR5XVCP4YIBKBAE2IR3ZUE/#:~:text=Fragments%20of%201200%2Dyear%2Dold,held%20in%20the%20Southern%20Hemisphere.

Ultra thin Parchment production in 1220c – 1300c

Parchment production research

Stationary bindings

Function not finery: Stationery bindings 1500-1799

Binding the St Florian Heraldry book

Just finished a quick write up on the process I went thru to bind the wonderful hand painted heraldry work of Mistress Constanzia to create a baronial Heraldry book.

Click to access binding-the-st-florian-heraldry-book-s.pdf

Comparison of hand finishing vs modern 18th vs 19th century

An interesting watch, some more differences from earlier books to that in 18th century as well.