Founded in 1906, the Guild of Book Workers (GBW) is an organization registered in New York City which promotes the craft of

bookbinding Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book of codex format from an ordered stack of ''signatures'', sheets of paper folded together into sections that are bound, along one edge, with a thick needle and strong thread. Cheaper, b ...

, conservation, and the Book Arts. Membership in the Guild is common, though not universal, among American bookbinders. The Guild of Book Workers was created "... to establish and maintain a feeling of kinship and mutual interest among workers in the several hand book crafts." Among its early members are well-known artist-craft workers such as bookbinder

Edith Diehl Edith Diehl ( – ) was an American bookbinder and author of ''Bookbinding, its Background and Technique'' (Rinehart and Co., 1946), a classic text and manual on the history and craft of bookbinding in two volumes (republished in editions by Ke ...

and printers and typographers

William Addison Dwiggins William Addison Dwiggins (June 19, 1880 – December 25, 1956), was an American type designer, calligrapher, and book designer. He attained prominence as an illustrator and commercial artist, and he brought to the designing of type and books so ...

and

Frederic Goudy Frederic William Goudy (, March 8, 1865 – May 11, 1947) was an American printer, artist and type designer whose typefaces include Copperplate Gothic, Goudy Old Style and Kennerley. He was one of the most prolific of American type designers and ...

. The Guild still believes, as did its founders, that there is a responsibility among civilized people to sustain the crafts involved with the production of fine books. Its members hope to broaden public awareness of the hand book arts, to stimulate commissions of fine bindings, and to stress the need for sound book conservation and restoration. The Guild of Book Workers is governed by an elected group of volunteers who serve as officers, committee chairs and chairs of the regional chapters. In 1978 the Guild became incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in New York State and is exempt from Federal income tax under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The GBW holds an annual conference called ''Standards of Excellence'' (usually shortened in conversation to "Standards"), during which prominent bookbinders or conservators give lectures and demonstrations intended to disseminate knowledge through the field. The organization includes 10 regional chapters that carry out the Guildʼs mission by offering similar activities in their local areas. The Chapters produce newsletters, sponsor exhibitions and hold local meetings that feature tours, talks, lectures, demonstrations and workshops.

References

1906 establishments in the United States Organizations based in New York City Bookbinding Guilds in the United States {{book-art-stub

See also

References