‘Moveable books’ is a term used to describe any book with articulated or moving parts. Most people think of the traditional pop-up, but there are many kinds of moveables, including books with slots and tabs, pivots and joints, carousel books and more. Moveables were made from paper and card, and because of this their mulitple moving parts can be vulnerable to damage, especially since most of them were made for children and have been roughly handled! As such, repairing these books presents unique challenges to book and paper conservators.

This class will introduce a range of techniques that can be used in repairing these structures. Class will begin by analyzing the various moving parts of the books, figuring out how they were made, how they function, and what kind of damage has occurred. Students will then set about planning strategies for the repairs, which might require innovative jigs and tools in order to carry out the treatment. In the case of true ‘pop-ups’ and carousel books, for instance, the repairs have to be done in mid-air with the book open, so specially adapted clamps must be employed. Tab and slot books have their workings hidden inside the pages, so that repairing broken parts will require dissembling the book and becoming familiar with the complexities of the mechanism within.

The instructor has repaired every kind of moveable book over the years, and is keen to share the many tips and tricks he has devised or learnt from others. Using nothing more than Japanese paper, paste, acrylic paint and a few ingenious tools, the results are very satisfying. 

Materials to Bring: Magnets, small artist brushes, paint pallet, scalpel or ultility knife.

Workshop Fee (includes $30 materials fee): $370.00

Date & Time: Monday-Thursday, August 19-22, 2019 :: 6:30-9:30pm

Location: 375 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Note: Please read over the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class

REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THE START DATE OF THIS WORKSHOP.

About the Instructor | Dominic Riley

Dominic Riley Is an internationally renowned bookbinder, artist, lecturer and teacher. He has his bindery in the Lake District, from where he travels across the UK teaching and lecturing. He spends part of the year teaching in San Francisco and across the USA. His work is mostly restoration and Design Binding, for which he has won many prizes in the Designer Bookbinders competition. He was elected Fellow of DB in 2008. His bindings are in collections worldwide, including the British Library, the Grolier Club in New York and the San Francisco Public Library. In 2013 he won first prize, the Sir Paul Getty Award, in the International Bookbinding Competition. Dominic is President of the Society of Bookbinders.

Past Student Reviews:

“The instructor's enthusiasm about and knowledge of binding is inspiring. I was very fortunate.”

“Dominic was active, positive, clear, funny.”

“Instructor was very knowledgeable and was able to take you through the steps in a very easy to understand manner. Regardless as to whether you were a beginner or had a bit of background.”

“This class was my second of many more to come. Both the classes I have taken so far have exceeded my expectations!”

“Gifted both in skill and the ability to deliver his knowledge.”