How was it made? Printing and binding a book | V&A
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- čas přidán 1. 03. 2021
- Discover the stages involved in creating a hand-printed and hand-bound book. This is an example of octavo size, meaning it's made up of pages that were printed eight to a sheet of paper.
Process at the printers:
Arranging metal letters: 00:09
Preparing type: 00:25
Applying ink to the type: 00:32
Pressing paper onto the inked type: 00:40
Process at the binders:
Sheets folded and cut: 01:07
Folds hammered: 01:24
Sheets sewn onto bands: 01:28
Rounding the spine: 01:43
Attaching cover boards: 01:56
Clamping the book and trimming pages: 02:20
Endbands sewn: 02:29
Leather cover stuck on: 02:41
Decoration added with hot metal tools: 03:11
Find out more in our Books Collection: www.vam.ac.uk/collections/books
Thank you V&A. My fellow pupils, and I were doing a two year Art Course called the 13 Plus, run by our Headmaster called Mr George Mackley, long ago in the 1950s. Our English teacher. told us that he was a "proper" artist. The sketches were in pencil and watercolours and were of cows and the countryside, We were very impressed, as they were beautiful. Later when we began our Art course, he showed us more of his sketch books, and his wood engravings and prints from them. We did nor know at that time that he was a world known engraver, up there with the world's best. One engraved on small blocks of fruit wood because the wood is very hard and smooth and does not show any natural structures from the wood itself, as one prints. We did not fully realise how privileged we were, to learn from this artist. The ones that were interested were taught in his office, and when I went I, took it very seriously. Cynthia Mclaglen
That must have been such a great experience. You have clearly gained alot from it. As a child I was taught what it meant to be a 'proper' artist, too. Never use any kind of guide to produce a straight line, or turned a canvas or board (or even paper if sketching) to make it easier. It took me a long time to break those good habits so I could paint in a way I felt comfortable, but I still try to work methodically. Thanks for sharing - lovely comment.
@@gaelhillyardcreative That is great, to try out different ways and disciplines. I was a teacher of art eventually and believed in encouraging giving the pupil to experiment, in order to gain confidence in his or her decisions. To try different ways of printing, with chosen objects, with card; lino; through screen printing and experimenting with expressions of strokes to give a feeling of movement, like the Italian Futurists who developed Picasso and Braque' abstract art, with lines of movement and repetition. I would show then how,- and then leave them to their own devices, in order to get them to gain confidence in experiment, and to get them to select for themselves,- which result, was what pleased them the most. It had to be their decision, not mine. Cynthia McLaglen
@Cynthia Maclaglen. You were a very lucky person to have studied under such a talented master artist! It’s nice to know that the skills, beauty, and crafts of yesteryear were so very much appreciated, valued, studied, & passed on! I hope these beautiful skills are still be studied & passed on! To lose them would be a tragedy to our history!!
It’s amazing to think how much engineering and forethought went into this form of book making... we now take for granted mass production books you can clearly see why books were originally only for the very wealthy!
Beautiful, would love to see the 1/2 hour version. 3 minutes was just too short!
This was so satisfying to watch, I could watch it over and over again
This is so interesting - I always wondered about the raised lines on a book's spine. Thank you for your Monday comms. I love them.
This was the beginning of our enlightenment. Danke Herr Gutenberg
Really enjoyed this video. Thank you for 3 1/2 minutes of peace and tranquility.
That was brilliant, thank you
So interesting. Thank you V&A
So cool....old world skills
Very beautiful. Thank you.
This was amazing thank you!
The nerd in me LOVES things like this!!
Just today I was thinking of printing my book n binding it. Wow. 👍👍👍
BEAUTIFUL
Amazing!
Veramente una opera d'arte 👍👍
This was fascinating. I've never seen two holes on the cover board before so I am immediately curious on why and how on that.
Did this Mostly the binding, did not have access to old typesetting materials) in a course at university. I didn't use leather, and had to assure my glue was archival, but also animal free, because My thing is to learn the hows and whys of an original praxis, but then find a way to meet same functional end without exploiting animals. Each step is an art in itself.
So that's what those raised lines are.
wonderful, no wonder books used to be so expensive.
It appears that only one side of the page was printed, or was it just not shown? If so, were the blank sides pasted together?
That's one.
How long before that's in the 50p bin at the charity shop?
It would be very rare to see a leather-bound book in a charity shop no matter how useless the contents.
It was fascinating to watch. But if you were a printer / book binder from days gone by, a degree of tedium must have seeped in, especially after the tenth, no, one hundredth book. Also, it raises the question of how one advanced themselves. Bookbinding, to me at least. is a process which has benefitted from the use of technology, so that the artisans can maintain their sanity. In saying this, it is important we keep these skills alive for future generations so that we may build on this success. Thank you.
Each book is different as each day is different. The paper is thicker and unrulier today than last week, the leather more pliable next week, the weather makes the materials act out, the customer wants something that needs you to think more. There is no tedium when what you're doing is not production line type of work where everything is standardized and predictable. The point of still doing this by hand is an artisan product, not that it could not be made more efficiently, in more industrial manner where you work less, touch less, be present less.
@@ljooni Ljooni -- As with always, it is a question of finding the right person for the right job. It's whatever turns you on. But I note what you say and thank you for your response.
@@LaHayeSaint Oh definitely. If this kind of job doesn't appeal to you then it is no job for you. I am merely saying that lack of modern tools does not make the job tedious :)
I have worked in both printing and crafting and it takes a particular type of person. I don't think I have met anyone in these roles who were ever bored by what they did. As was mentioned by ljooni in hand crafted products the material is a very living part of the process and is affected by so many different factors including the weather and the maker's mood. You are not just responding mechanically, you are fully engaged with every nuance of the manufacture and design, and where a process might become repetitive it is not tedium but rhythm, which is incredibly satisfying once achieved. There is also, I believe, an artisanal view that everything made is unique even if it is one of hundreds, and every item created is a new one to be approached with the same amount of care, curiosity and passion as the first.
@@gaelhillyardcreative Gael, it seems that you have what it takes: Grace, passion, fortitude and commitment to see perfection carried out with loving care. And for these qualities, I salute you. In this world, we need diversity in thought, action and ability, and just like the components of a clock, we can work together in harmony. Many thanks for your kind response.
Let's strike this material with ASMR'izing beam!
1,000th like 😁✨
Watch the move "The Ninth Gate" with Johnny Depp.
Magic trick : at 2:24, the sheets and the cardboard cover are shaved to the same level... Then at 2:44 you can see that the cover extends 5 mm beyond the sheets, all around. It's no longer a craft, it's downright magic... 🤭
That was beautiful. Better get a couple good apprentice though before your hands get stiff with age and possibly carpal tunnel syndrome.