The Mennonite Heritage Center, 565 Yoder Road, Harleysville, announces a Book Repair Workshop scheduled for Saturday, June 17, 2017 from 9:30 am to 4 pm. Led by Ramon Townsend of Colonial Bindery, Exton, Pa, students will learn basic book repair techniques, and in the process learn about the book’s components and traditional hand bookbinding methods. They will dissect a book and reassemble it. The students will deconstruct the book by detaching the covers and spine; removing the sewing; and disassembling the text. They will then reconstruct their book by performing page repair; resewing the text; and rehinging the covers and spine.
You may bring your own book, but will need to provide the instructor with photos of the book at least a week in advance). Materials and supplies are provided. This workshop is for adults only.
Workshop instructor Ramon Townsend studied paper marbling and hand bookbinding under the Master and Journeymen bookbinders at Colonial Williamsburg. Colonial Williamsburg has an apprenticeship program where it passes on traditional handcrafts. Part of the training was to demonstrate and teach the crafts to visitors and Ramon learned paper marbling, paper making and printing, and bookbinding. After his work at the Bindery for a few years, he continued to perform bookbinding and marbling, including rebinding/restoring used and rare books. In 2012, Ramon and his daughter Danielle started Colonial Bindery which offers repairing and rebinding book services.
Preregistration is necessary as the workshop size is limited to only six participants to allow for individualized instruction. Mr. Townsend, the instructor, must pre-approve a book a student wants to bring and work on. Students will be given his email after registering for the workshop so that they can contact him. The Book Repair Workshop fee is $60 ($55 member) plus a $20 materials fee.