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Po Box 410963
San Francisco, CA 94141
USA

A close-knit group of hand bookbinders, with shared interests in creating and collecting fine bindings, joined together to promote hand bookbinding and related book arts and to exchange information and ideas. 

HBC40- 2012

Formed in March 1972, the Hand Bookbinders of California was from its inception devoted to promoting and supporting the craft of hand bookbinding, with membership open to binders of all skill levels. ‹e founding group included some of the Bay Area’s most in‘uential collectors, among them

Duncan Olmstead and Gale Herrick, and many binders and teachers of binding. Today, 40 years later, we boast over 150 members, including binders, calligraphers, printers and collectors.

Each year since inception, we encourage our members to enter their work in the annual, non-juried exhibition in order to gain experience and to demonstrate this high quality of work produced in our craft.

We are proud of the excellent quality of work and the variety of entries from our membership. For this 40th anniversary exhibit, we recognize the strong French in‘uence on the work of Bay Area teachers of binding, many of whom studied in France, including bindings by Paul Bonet and Pierre Lucien Mart.

Also on display are works by a few of our early members and teachers, including Belle McMurtry Young, Peter Fahey, Florence Walters, Betty Lou Chaika, Joanne Sonnichsen, Barbara Fallon Hiller, and Anne Kahle.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I extend thanks to Signa Houghteling, for her countless hours spent organizing the exhibition. Additional thanks to: Vanessa Hardy and Margaret Johnson for preparation work; Rhiannon Alpers for endless energy and creative ‘air to produce the catalog; Juliayn Coleman, John Spicer, Richard Brain and Mel Flyer for help with photography and co-ordination. Finally, the exhibition would not be possible without the help of Elizabeth Fischbach, Stanford University Green Library Exhibits Designer and Preparer, as well as Janice Braun, Associate Library Director and Special Collections Librarian, Milhaud Archivist, and Director of the Center forthe Book at Mills College.

I encourage you to join Hand Bookbinders of California—we celebrate the book: making books,

their collection, care and restoration.

Coleen Curry

President, Hand Bookbinders of California