Welcome

"The trade of a Bookbinder has been ranked among the most difficult of the arts. The appearance of a book to a casual observer seems to require little talent but if the various subdivisions of the work (which form not less than sixty) are considered and in the proper execution of which consists the Art of Bookbinding it will not be surprising to find how few men have arrived at eminence in it". John Hannett "Bibliopegia" 1831.

Period Fine Bindings - Bookbinders

Born in Great Britain in 1959, apprenticed as a bookbinder for 6 years in Birmingham UK, followed by a 2 year Masters degree in conservation, restoration and period bookbinding.

"I have been a traditional bookbinder for 35 years, and self employed for 25 years, and in that time I have had great success slowly re-introducing traditional bookbinding back to it's rightful place....as an art form".

Paul Tronson, Master Bookbinder restores.... antiquarian books, manuscripts and objets d'arts to their original or period condition, preserving your heritage using original tools and materials handmade to ancient formulae including vegetable tanned leathers, hand marbled papers, fermented vegetable dyes etc...

Simply email Paul with your request.
paul@periodfinebindings.com

Background

Paul Tronson is a Master Bookbinder who's work is inspired by the great Masters of the last millennium, including Roger Payne, Samuel Mearne, Le Gascon, Padeloup, Nicholas and Clovis Eve et al; "I've spent many years working out exactly how they applied their genius and hopefully capture a shadow of it in my own work. I work with mediums made by myself and practice over 70 different antiquarian and incunabula styles of bookbinding.
I have also developed a range of non aggressive formulae for the safe removal of many aggressive stains that affect paper and other materials including foxing, ink, library stamps, water stains, sticky tapes, crayon, biro...and many more".

Services

Paul's innovative and original techniques attract the interest of members of the public, institutions and collectors around the world. Paul has the ability, skills and experience to restore insect-eaten, fire damaged, flooded, kept in a cellar, foxed, bound with sticky tape, ink stained, dog chewed treasured volumes and bring them to a period condition that is sometimes indistinguishable from the original. Some ancient volumes that Paul has worked on include 10thC Codex, Gutenberg Bible,15thC Holy Alphabet, Shakespeare first folio incunabula ancient scrolls and manuscripts and more recent treasures including Pavier's pirated editions of Shakespeare and Thomas Edison's Guestbook. Paul has worked on literally hundreds of family bibles and philosophical tracts conserving them as inheritance pieces for the generations.
If you have a damaged book, manuscript, beautiful paper or leather object in need of TLC .... email paul@periodfinebindings.com