WANTED

Wanted : Signature beating hammer

For centuries bookbinders would beat the thick hand made paper that made up book signatures to remove the swell (sponginess).

These 5 to 14 lb hammers are not to be confused with the much lighter rounding and backing hammers.

Wanted: American made stamping press. Sanborn or similar

Called:  Arming Press, Embossing Press, Stamping Press these machines would 

create the  richly embossed book covers that  make the nineteenth century book unique.

WANTED: signature  rolling machine

The first piece of 'modern" bookbinding equipment. Developed in the 1820's to flatten signatures prior to sewing. Replaced the hammering or 'beating' of signatures  to reduce swell. (see beating hammer, above)

Wanted: Smyth, number three, sewing machine

This is the earliest successful book sewing machine. 

Oral histories of bookbinders

Images of bookbinders; photographs, engravings, or drawings

Women in the bookbinderies: photographs, documents

Labor Unions: photographs, ephemera, badges, literature, certificates

Sample books: cloth samples, leather samples, paper samples

Equipment catalogues, operating manuals, instructions or parts manuals

Archives of personal and business papers of bookbinders: letters, letterheads, invoices from bookbinders, account books, ledger books

Company Histories

Binder's Tickets or labels

Price lists of bookbinder's services

Advertisements for binderies or bookbinding equipment

Signed bindings, particularly American

Bindings that illustrate quality of workmanship or are unusual because of material used or techniques employed

Bookbinding manuals or hand written descriptions of how to bind books

Signed bindings, particularly American

Bindings that illustrate quality of workmanship or are unusual because of material used or techniques employed

Select Equipment Wanted

Smyth # 3 sewing machine

Early American stamping press. Sanborn or similar

Signature rolling machine: Similar in appearance to a wringer, this machine has two steel rollers probably 8-14" in diameter and was used to flatten signatures prior to sewing.
Pin perforator

Cloth embossing machine: used to impart patterns to book cloth

Early Dexter folder

Stabbing machine: smaller machine with a handle or foot peddle with several nail like punches. used to stab hole in side of book for side sewing

Tools Wanted

Millboard shears: very large sissors used to cut binders board

Beating hammer, usually 12 to 14 lbs, used to hammer the folds in hand made paper(not to be confused with a backing hammer )

Early charcoal stove used to heat finishing tools

Cast Iron glue pot