The collection contains hundreds of illustrations of tools and equipment but surprisingly few of bookbinders working. We are looking for any illustrations of bookbinders, their binderies, tools, or equipment.

Our collection contains approximately one hundred different bookbinding periodicals, including a complete run of The American Bookbinder. The titles can be searched on line and any help in completing the collection would be appreciated.

Unions played an important roll in 19th century bookbinderies. We are interested in Union documents, periodicals, and ephemera.

Patents documents offer information as to who invented a machine, when and where it was invented as well as a description as to what and how it was to be used. All this information is invaluable to historians. We are looking for any patent material that relates to bookbinding.

Henry Barton Lewis doth put himself apprentice to John for the term of seven years. The terms of apprenticeship documents offer insight into the working conditions of individual bookbinders. We are interested in anything to do with apprenticeship.

Price lists offer insight into the types of work a particular bookbindery performed, and can suggest the amount of competition any given bookbinder had and how much of a profit he was making.

Our collection contains hundreds of bookbinding equipment operating manuals. We are hoping to scan these and make them available to bookbinders trying to keep a piece of equipment operating as well as to researchers.