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Dear Friends, Students, Faculty Members and lovers of books,

This is Deb Stevens. I am the administrative director for the American Academy of Bookbinding based out of Telluride, Colorado. This blog was started as a way for all of us, those who have studied at AAB, friends of AAB, as well as those who want to find out more about this place, can keep in touch with each other during the year. I'll be posting all kinds of photos, news and updates as regularly as possible (or newsworthy). I hope you will also share any bookbinding thoughts, questions, revelations, etc. Send me your photos and let us all know what you're up to. Keep connected!



Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Don Glaister—Fundamentals of Bookbinding

Don and Taylor looking through the paper drawers.

Don demonstrates how to sand the spine.

A student sewing the signatures to make a textblock.


We are very honored to have Don Glaister here teaching for us for the first time. What a wonderful and generous teacher, and a great guy, too! Don trained in Paris but thinks of his bindings as truly American. His is an innovator and over the thirty some years he has been binding, he has developed simple, clear, no-nonsense techniques for binding books. And his design bindings are spectacular! So imginative! He has a concept for an image and finds unusual materials to realize his designs. Check out his website at the link on the right.

The two-week class that started this week is titled "Fundamentals of Bookbinding." Students are learning how to make case bindings using brand new textblocks, then sewing them, rounding and backing them, making headbands, etc. The students will make one half-leather and one full-leather binding. It's a process that takes the student through every step of the binding. We have some students who have never made a book before, and we have a student that has been taking various binding classes in Telluride since 1996, so the range is very broad. Even experienced binders can learn something by studying a new way of doing things. How refreshing!

1 comment:

  1. I am finishing the 2 week " Fundamentals of Bookbinding" class with Don Glaister tomorrow. What a great experience !! I am new in the bookbinding field and I am returning home with a wealth of information and experience that I can't wait to practice and improve on at home.
    Don Glaister is incredible!!! If you have the chance, don't miss the opportunity to learn from this wonderfully talented man. He happens to be a very nice person also that inspires you with his passion for producing better than just good books and his faith that you can succeed. I will be taking as many of his classes as I am able.

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