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My
interest in bookbinding arose from discovering facsimile
printed books whilst doing some historical research
into the history of medicine. The series of books in
question were the "English
Experience Series". The link will tell you
more about them but briefly there were a series of facsimiles
of early english printed books (Caxton
1470 to1640) published in the USA or the Netherlands
in the 60's and 70's. There were 965 in total and covered
every subject under the sun.
Further research
discovered several other facsimile series including
those published by the Scolar Press of Menston and the
Shakespeare Association Facsimile series. While there
were many useful books in these series they tended to
be published for academia to satisfy the Oxbridge "Greats"
syllabus and those other British Universities who would
emulate them. Theology and Shakespearean/Jacobean Literature
also feature greatly amongst them.
It suddenly
occurred to me that I would like to own a book bound
in an historic manner to use in my "First
Person" historic presentations. Amongst my
colleagues at Kentwell
Hall I discovered "Basil the Bookbinder",
who for a reasonable fee, would turn my facsimile into
a wonderful 16thC book. My appetite for collecting was
stimulated and went beyond my ability to pay the considerable
cost of the rare book itself and the cost of rebinding
it. That was when I decided to go on a bookbinding course
to be able to do my own. Now I come fully equipped not
only with a selection of "authentic" books
but also a considerable
collection of facsimiles. Add to this a wide selection
of tools that would pass for those in a 16thC bindery
gives me the resources to run my own
bookbinding display for museums and courses
for those who want to use a facsimile book in their
Living History display.
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