The ideal antidote to our throw away society—fine bindings appeal to all the senses.
The Art Gallery of NSW Research Library often holds exhibitions of design bindings and the State Library of Victoria has some exceptional bindings in its Mirror of the World Exhibition. Here are some book exhibitions that have a presence on the web.
Books to Hold or Let Go
Unique bindings of a limited edition of a selection of Pamela Dobson's poetry, with wood engravings by Rosalind Atkins, which was designed and published Ampersand Duck in 2008. Held at Craft ACT, May - June 2009. more details and here.
Under the Cover
An exhibition of contemporary bookbinding, artists books and textiles that showed there are many ways to bind a book and explored the intriguing world of secrecy, shame, beauty and desire to be found under the cover — the book cover, the quilt cover, and the cover of darkness. Held at Stanton Library, North Sydney, November 2006 - January 2007 ... more details.
Double Bush Binding
For Double Bush Binding, one hundred bookbinders from eight countries bound a limited edition, bilingual book commissioned by Bookbinding Exhibitions Australia. The book, printed on handmade paper from Euraba Paper Company, contains two short stories by French author, Paul Wenz, and etchings by Australian artists, Daniel Pata, Michael Kempson and Rew Hanks. ... more details. There are books from this exhibition in the State Libraries of Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales.
Coloured Cloth Bindings ...
The 2004-2005 exhibition of beautiful cloth covered books from the Rare Books Collection at Monash University in Melbourne was a rare chance to see the development of book covers from 1780 to about 1920. See the Monash Library website for more book exhibitions.
