Professional Photographers, and those wishing to display creative work in a portfolio or album worthy of its contents, use this facet of our business. We custom make to order, and can advise on styles and materials for specific purposes. Wedding albums are a part of this range and we have samples of our products on display at the workshop.
Our standard covering materials include leather, bookcloths and linens, and reconstituted leather in a range of colours. Covers can be padded if required, and stamped with logos or names simply by supplying us with the artwork to suit.
Portfolios requiring Mylar or PVC welded pockets can also be ordered. Page formats can be made to order from a variety of archival materials.
DESIGN, INNOVATION & CRAFTSMANSHIP
A beautifully designed, anodized aluminium portfolio allowing a variety of page formats and display possibilities. Each page opens perfectly flat, from the first page through to the last, exactly as you would expect from a well bound book.
Designed and 'road tested' in Australia, the Carapace Cover leads the field in contemporary presentation books.
Fabricated from 2mm anodized aluminium, the chosen material minimises finger marks while affording the contents protection in an appealing format. The substrate can easily be engraved, laser-cut, powder coated or silk screen printed. The design features of the product prevent the lateral movement usually associated with interscrews, post or ring binder mechanisms. Museums and Archival Repositories also appreciate the qualities of a perfectly inert storage medium for precious material housed in a strong binder system.
This elegant hand-crafted portfolio has been created in conjunction with Newbold & Collins Pty.Ltd., Australia's leading Antiquarian Book Restorers, whose sound knowledge and understanding of book construction and functionality has made possible this unique design.
The Carapace Cover has already gained acceptance by leading-edge photographers, architects, advertising agencies and creative people. It is a 'state of the art' presentation medium and method of reflecting a company's standing. This product provides an eye catching, though functional way to present photographs, samples, drawings, architectural plans, board papers and archival material. Corporate uses are virtually limitless for those companies wishing to project an image worthy of a sucessful business entering the new millennium. CLOTH BINDING
The workshop carries a comprehensive selection of bookcloths in stock, and sample swatches of cloths can be ordered in when specially required. Our cloth stocks include rolls of original old fabric which we have acquired from our contacts in the trade, allowing authentic period bindings to be produced and accurate repairs to be performed on old books. Older volumes, bound in cloth or buckram, sympathetic to the period, lettered and finely tooled in gold, can greatly enhance a collection.
Collection Maintenance Advice
With the constant degradation of our environment, it is becoming increasingly important to protect book and paper collections from atmospheric pollutants.
Modern paper manufacturers are now becoming more aware of the need to ensure the longevity of printed matter with the use of 'acid free' (neutral pH) papers. Complete protection from outside influences can be assured by safeguarding material in custom made and lined folding boxes. We are able to supply a full range of archival storage options, from leather backed folding boxes, which give the shelf appearance of a bound book, to slip cases, solander boxes and chemise wrappers.
Newbold & Collins can advise on, and produce, all your book and document storage requirements..
Book Edge Gilding
Arrangements can be made to produce gilt-edged volumes when required.
Books with damaged gilding can also be sucessfully repaired without damage to the binding.
Gold Embossing
We are often asked to add initials or names onto items for presentation. This can usually be done on the same day that we receive the goods.
*See separate page
*See separate page
Leather Binding
*See separate page
Paper Conservation
*See separate page
Albums and Portfolios
*See separate page
The history of bookbinding proudly predates printing by many centuries, and although we can now use highly advanced machinery to bind books, we still follow the same basic form and construction.
The varying forms of recording events and ideas changed from age to
age with the development of civilization. Long before an alphabet was
conceived, and writing developed, man had been recording his thoughts
and events on cave walls or rock outcrops with great effect. Later, using
hieroglyphics and varying alphabets, man started to use other bases for
his writings including stone, wood, animal skins and papyrus.
Papyrus was rolled into scrolls which eventually gave way to the flat
sheet of the codex, or the flat book of the Christian era. As vellum superseded
papyrus, the written sheets were folded, gathered into sections and sewn
together. From this point, the codex, or book as we know it today, with
its structure and form, emerged.
History and its recording usually only shows the visual changes to the
outside of the book, the style of decoration and its changes through time,
the shape, the materials used, the use of gold and metal. Construction
methods including natural round, sewing styles, sewing supports, attachment
of boards and the many styles of corners and headbands are not generally
recorded but are just as important to the modern book restorer.
The codex as we know it today emerged as early as the 2nd century AD,
at first using papyrus then the stronger but more serviceable parchment/vellum.
The bindings from the first to the fifth century were by todays standards,
rough in their execution but definitely an important stage of the evolution.
Early vellum pages were illuminated and bound into books in monasteries
by the monks. The use of paper in books generally coincides with the introduction
of printing in the late fifteenth century.
Thick leather thongs were used as sewing supports, and were attached into
the wooden boards by means of holes and small wooden wedges. Leather thongs
later gave way to fibre cords and even later to woven tapes. The early
sewing supports, being raised from the spine surface became part of the
spine design and are refered to as raised bands. The introduction of recessed
sewing in the sixteenth century resulted in a smooth spine devoid of bands
and panels. This also allowed for the introduction of the hollow back
which allowed books with heavy paper to open more easily, and gave the
binder the whole spine on which to apply an overall design. The French
used this style of tooling with great successs, but most binders kept
to the orthodox style of paneling by tooling the bands in gold. Tradition
has kept the raised bands, either by them being sewn on, or by applying
them as false bands. Today, we can apply leather strips as false raised
bands over the most modern sewing methods to retain that look of a real
book.
In early bindings, wood was the usual material employed as cover boards
as the emergence of pulped boards later coincided with papermaking. Wood
and its weight was found to be a good way of containing the yawning
of the vellum leaves, caused by atmospheric changes. Heavy metal decorations
and clasps were popular for this very same reason. Boards have changed
over time, pasteboard, rope filled board, tar board,strawboard, mill board
and boxboard, although modern mill board is the one recommended for use
by todays binders.
Early books were generaly large and cumbersome compared to those bound
after the introduction of printing. As more books could be printed, more
books needed to be bound. Books became smaller in size, so binding methods
were refined.
Leather has been in constant use as a covering material since the earliest
times. The use of Vellum, Alum tawed pig and goat skins, Calf, Deer, Sheep
and Russia leather have all been part of the books history. Covering styles
have also changed over time to include full, half and quarter styles,
the latter two progresivly introduced to save costs.
1821 heralded the emergence of bookcloth as a major competitor to leather.To use this new material economically, a new binding style was introduced, where the cover is made seperately from the book. The introduction some ten years later of the arming press, allowed beautiful designs to be blocked on these covers, in many colours including gold. A major proportion of bound books from this point were of this style until the paperback was introduced, which has since become the prominent style.
Prior to the 1840s, paper was made from rag and is usually still
in good condition. This period heralded the use of wood as the base for
paper with sometimes disasterous results. Paper manufacturers today are
trying to find a favorable balance between the two.
The tooling on the covers of books followed fashion and technology. Early
books had the design hammered or pressed into the leather using punch
like tools, most effective, but plain. The fifteenth century is generally
accepted as the period where gold was first used for the decoration of
books, Engraved brass tools and rolls were used to work the many styles
including Aldine. Dentelle, Harlian, Le Gascon and Derome. These styles
were influenced by the printers, publishers or collectors of the period.
The Aldine style was named after Aldus Manutius the famous Venitian printer
whos influence also reduced the size of books to a more managable
pocket size. The Harlian style is named after Lord Harley,
an English collector who insisted on the newly discovered pineapple being
included in the design tooled on his books.
The twentieth century has seen many changes in book construction, due mainly to machinery , new adhesives, new materials and the never ending need to produce more and cheaper books. During the last half of the 20th century we accepted the need to use permanent materials in our books, but sadly at this point, they are not in general use.
As we move into the twenty first century, Newbold & Collins are committed to the use of sound materials and practices in our bindings, and believe that whichever of historys styles we use, we will be assessed favourably by future historians.
Our most prestigious works are leather bindings tooled in gold. The most popular leather is either goatskin of calf, with both avaliable in a wide range of colours.
Full bindings are books which are completely covered in leather. Half bound books have the spine and corners covered in leather, with front and back boards infilled with either cloth or marbled paper to match. Quarter bound books have a leather spine with cloth or paper sides.
Our leather bound books receive a good foundation, with sections hand sewn on cords or tapes. Edge gilding can be carried out prior to the book receiving silk, hand sewn, head and tail bands.
We frequently leather bind publishers' de-luxe Limited Editions in runs up to 1000 copies, and are often consulted in the selection of the materials used.
Sometimes, aspects of the job, such as specific hand marbling or calligraphy are commissioned to trusted artisans on our clients' behalf.
Exotic materials such as Alum Tawed
leather, vellum, silks and hand cut velvets are imported when the need arises.
MOVIE PROPS
Newbold & Collins also offer
a service to film and television production companies in supplying period bindings
and technical advise to those seeking authentic looking books for film props. Our list of credits is set out below.
The exacting procedures associated with the conservation of works on paper require a great deal of patience and expertise. Fortunately the results are well worth the effort, and clients are always impressed with what can be achieved. Dealers and collectors who know what we can achieve don't let paper-based imperfections prevent them from acquiring a scarce piece. As well as appreciating the standard of our workmanship, they value our fair prices.
Once conservation of the piece is complete we can advise on preservation and archival storage, in order to best protect our clients' investments. Providing a good environment, and safe storage conditions are critical to preserving paper based collections.
The science and art of Paper Conservation requires that practitioners constantly upgrade their knowledge and understanding of procedures. As new methods and treatments become accepted, it is our policy at Newbold & Collins to keep our staff abreast of current standards, and undertake ongoing education.
Our policy when restoring damaged books follows the archival principle of strengthening the construction of the piece, while retaining as much of the original material as possible. Volumes may only require re-backing and the remounting of the original spine. If the original spine is missing or damaged we can letter and tool the new spine to match, and retain the period look. If this is not possible, rebinding in quarter, half or full bound in leather, in materials similar to the original, can replicate the original binding in a sympathetic manner. We can reproduce lettering and tooling styles for each period in binding history from our extensive collection of period tools and typefaces. We have an extensive reference library, and can advise on the correct procedure to faithfully reproduce volumes left with us.
Books of purely sentimental value will benefit from a simple, sympathetic repair. This will ensure that a broken or damaged volume remains intact while continuing to be serviceable.
The finest materials available are used to ensure that clients' collections will provide years of pleasure for generations to come. We hold a good collection of 'old style cloths' that help us match colour and grain, allowing correct repairs to your treasures. Our leather staining experience also allows for close colour matching in rebacking and repairs. Stain colours, when applied correctly, can also give a new binding that look of the original. Our never-ending search for the finest materials has given us a most comprehensive network of suppliers worldwide who cater to our exacting needs.
Our interest and expertise in the traditional techniques of bookbinding, along with our knowledge and recognition of archival principles, has earned us a reputation as leaders in the field of book repair and restoration.