After a 25
year career as a jewelry designer and metalsmith, I became interested
in the book arts. While learning about bookbinding and conservation,
I realized that there was little information and no readily avilable
source for book closures; so I did some research, and began to
make my own clasps.
Now, I offer
workshops on making metal book clasps in which I teach bookbinding
students enough simple metal working techniques to enable them
to easily make their own clasps using readily available tools
and materials.
I taught
my first workshop at Columbia College Center for Book and Paper
Arts in January 2003. Since then I have taught workshops at Paper
and Book Intensive (PBI), 2004; at the FOCUS Conference of the
Oregon Book Arts Guild, 2005; for the New York Guild of Bookworkers;
and at the Huntington Library in 2006. In 2007 I taught workshops
for the California Hand Bookbinders, and for Hollander’s
in Ann Arbor, MI. I will be teaching a class at the Center for
Book and Paper Arts at Colombia again in January 2008. I can teach
up to three workshops per year, and I do have openings for 2008,
and 2009.
I also accept
commissions to custom make replica clasps, or clasps which echo
the feel of lost clasps or to make missing parts for clasps on
antiquarian books and old family Bibles. Some examples of my work
are shown on several pages beginning
here. In addition, I also do some limited book repairs
The book
arts community is especially generous in sharing information,
and it is in that spirit that I offer this web site. Although
the minute details of clasp making are not covered here, I hope
this site may serve as a useful reference for others who are interested
in this subject.
The examples
of books and clasps which are shown here are not necessarily historically
accurate; they are merely offered to demonstrate a variety of
clasp styles and methods of attachment.
Perhaps my
new venture into this aspect of the book arts can provide a small
contribution to a neglected area.
E-mail
if you have comments or questions, or if you would like to plan
a workshop.
