The story of Henry, the latest book binder in New York
In 1980 New York City had 1500 bookbinders. Today the number amounts to 1: Henry. It is not even his real name, but that of the street where his shop stands....
In 1980, according to a census, New York City counted 1500 bookbinders. Today the number amounts to 1: Henry. It is not even his real name, but that of the street where his shop stands. The signage shows an "Henry Bookbinding", the latest bookbinder in New York.
The work is there, the clientele also: these are mainly wealthy customers, lawyers, doctors and rabbis. During the Christmas period, Henry filled his workshop with queries, and Henry then inflated a mattress and to rest during night work, as Henry explained in Lithub's interview.
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The video that shows how to revive damaged books ...
Henry rereads everything: volumes of poetry, Bibles, photo albums, personalized books. He works in a laboratory without windows, in the basement of a synagogue. The room is full of old-fashioned machinery, lubricating greases, leathers, glue, the passages are many and require precision. First of all, gently remove the old cover, then start sewing, cutting and filing. The leather cover is glued to the volume and placed in a press. Finally there is the embossing, with which you choose the texture and font that will be printed on the cover, precisely.
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The machine that cleans books from dust in a few moments exists ...
The result? Elegant, durable and beautiful books. And prices are less astronomical than you might think. So, if you go to New York, head for Henry Street: Mr. Henry's retiring doesn't want to know.
