Revolt in the Desert

Revolt In The Desert

Restoration and Rebinding
with Custom Clamshell

"...dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes".

T.E. Lawrence, Revolt in the Desert

About the Project

Rebinding a rare and valuable book, especially a numbered first edition, can be a tricky situation – and I don’t take it lightly. This project fit the category of needing attention to bring it back to life, while also keeping with its look and feel from when it was first published. My client contacted me in early January 2026 and asked if I’d be able to assess and potentially repair his book. Right away I knew this was a special book, so I approached it carefully and methodically.

Challenge accepted.

According to my client, this book had sustained some water damage sometime in the 1960’s. The water distorted/warped the covers and seeped into the binding, which affected the paper and thread holding it all together. I went through, page by page, to see the extent of the damage. While every signature was affected, it was honestly a manageable amount, and it was easy to clean up. Thankfully, the materials that went into making this book are superior, bringing to mind the timeless adage “they don’t make them like they used to”, which is certainly the case here. All throughout the process I was overcome with joy simply to be working on such a wonderful piece of history. The paper was lovely to handle, it accepted thread without issue, and responded well to any mending needed. The repairs disappeared completely, which is exactly what every binder wants to see.

All told, this project came together nicely. It’s a solid book, keeping with it’s original form from when it was first published. To give it further protection, we made a custom clamshell box lined with royal blue felt.

While serious concerns can arise regarding the value of a book and the effect rebinding has on it, I feel the work we did was both necessary and beneficial to the longevity of this invaluable piece of history.

The Process

The images below are more archival than showcasing any technique used. I provided a written report for my client, outlining the necessary repairs needed to accomplish the restoration effort. What you’ll see is the book in its state before restoration, during the deconstruction phase.

Directions and Directing, by Alan Leo

Directions and Directing

An Introduction to Predictive Astrology

Custom Design Binding

"The deep pulsations of the world, Æonian music measuring out the steps of Time - the shocks of Chance - the blows of Death.

Tennyson, In Memoriam, xcv

About the Project

In early February 2026, my wife brought me this little book from her collection at the Celestial Arts Education Library, and it needed a little love. Actually, it needed a lot of love, but I was more than happy to work on it. There was something about this book that stood out to me, and I was instantly charmed by it. Its size betrays its impact on the world, as my wife expressed its value in the Astrological community, being a core text for predictive astrology. 

Once I began working on it, I felt an immediate connection to the book, and I enjoyed every step of the process. Once the repairs were finished, I rebound the signatures with archival materials and used fine sheepskin leather to cover it. For the design, I employed the cuir-ciselé technique to carve and bevel a “radiating planet.”

I am very happy with the result and I feel this book can now be enjoyed for many years to come. Breathing life back into much-loved books is a special kind of joy for me in the bindery, and I am thankful to have the opportunity to work on projects like this.

More about the Book

Herbert S. Green (1861-1937) was an English astrologer who collaborated on many publications with Alan Leo (1860-1917), “the most famous and influential of the modern English astrologers,” according to historian J. H. Holden. Born William Frederick Allan, Leo emerged as a leading figure in the European revival of astrology during the early twentieth century. Around the turn of the century, Green joined Leo’s publishing team, compiling data, editing, and also writing textbooks and leaflets. Directions and Directing: An Introduction to Predictive Astrology is Manual 5 in a series aimed at students of astrology, and it remains one of the most succinct technical manuals on prediction. Most importantly, this book presents the first citable evidence for the modern interpretation of converse progressions, a now-rare technique that flourished in the 20th century following the publication of this book. Green’s discussion of converse progressions challenges our Cartesian experience of the space-time continuum, positing that events happening before one’s birth have a corresponding effect throughout one’s lifetime.

This third edition of Directions belonged to the late Al H. Morrison, an influential career astrologer from New York City, who popularized the Void-of-Course Moon and pioneered research on the astrological significance of asteroids. In June of 2025, Morrison’s estate bequeathed his astrological library to the CAELi Institute located in historic Tumwater, WA. Upon finding the book in precarious condition, the library’s director brought it to me to see how we could save this historic text, both in its content and provenance. The director, familiar with my work in curliquesieessesse, asked if it would be possible to create a leather binding that captured the spirit of the original cover’s artwork, but made it more like a relic, a fossil, something lost to the ravages of time.

The Process

As mentioned above, this book needed a lot of love to bring it back to life. I wouldn’t say there was anything out of the ordinary for a book this old, so it was fairly straightforward. For the rips and tears, I applied a mixture of methyl cellulose and PVA glue with Japanese Conservation paper. Color-matching the original paper with the correct Japanese paper is always very rewarding, as the repairs can be seamless if done correctly. 

Once the repairs were finished and the paper was in good condition, the binding process was just like any other book. I’d say my only alteration from my normal process was using a tabletop method for sewing. Since the book was so small and still a bit fragile, I opted to use this method so as not to put any undue stress attaching it to the sewing frame. 

The design is a hand-drawn draft inspired by the original cover. Instead of working with Astrological symbols, I wanted to take a more “planetary” approach.

L Frank Baum Collection

L. Frank Baum Collection

Restoration and Rebinding

“The sun always shines, and its rays are perfumed.”

L. Frank Baum, The Magical Monarch of Mo

About the Project

Rebinding and restoring old books is a very rewarding process, both for me and my clients. Each book I work on has its own needs, and these three are no exception to that. Every technique I’ve learned over the years was employed in this project – paper mending, inlay/onlay, rebinding and hinge repair. When working on a set of books, I always take extra care to match the sizes so that they fit together on the shelf and are inline with one another. 

The result is a great collection of books that will last a lifetime and will be wonderful gifts to future generations.

Siegfried 2025

The Story of Siegfried

Restoration and Rebinding
with Original Art Inlay

“... The same paper, identical printing. Isn’t it a wonder?”

A. Pérez-Reverte, The Club Dumas

About the Project

Rarely do I get a chance to work on a book I’ve done before. Even more so when it’s a book from the same year, same printing, same edition.

When my client contacted me with her book, my heart skipped a beat. The Story of Siegfried is a book I’d rebound for myself many years ago, from an edition I’d picked up at a local estate sale. It was a chance for me to showcase a set of design features that has been employed frequently this year – original artwork inlay, endleaf reconstruction, paper mending/restoration. When I suggested that we replicate the work I’d done for my personal copy, she was happy to move forward with my proposal.

With my copy in-hand throughout the process, I immediately set to work on the restoration and rebinding of this beautiful edition. What brought me a bit more joy was a chance to improve on my original design. While I enjoy the work I’d done for myself, I’ve always had this feeling of “if I had the chance to do this again..” and now I do!

For instance, reprinting the endleaf sheets to keep with the original printing. Additionally, having a different layout for the spine stamping and tooling was a definite improvement.

I am very proud of the result and happy that her book has a new lifespan, one that will last generations.

The Process

Bible Recovery 2024

Bible Recovery

About the Project

A client contacted me about their father’s beloved bible and how it needed some restoration work. As with most bibles, it was well used and well-loved;  showing signs of wear in common places, with surprises we would discover along the way.

The Process

Saving the book was a pretty straightforward process. Essentially, we needed to deconstruct it completely to build it back up with quality material. As we broke the book down it was clear that it was a loose-leaf binding (stack of papers glued along the spine). Thankfully, I know a technique that reshapes the book and reinforces it with string/thread, which replicates the structure and functionality of a traditionally bound book.

The client said they wanted to save as much as plausible, which is completely understandable. This book had been in their family for many years, so saving it’s character was the top priority. I began by removing the covers to process them for an inlay (both front and back). The front fly-leaf also had some hand written notes on it, so I repaired it and reattached it to the new endleaf. 

Another challenge came from the stamp on the spine. It was a standard USPS stamp, with the original adhesive still on it. I carefully removed the stamp, neutralized the adhesive, and reapplied it with ph Neutral glue (PVA). It came out nicely and the stamp works well with the overall feel of the spine layout.

Bijbel Restoration

Bijbel Restoration

About the Project

Family heirlooms are particularly special in my workshop and this bible is no exception. A Dutch ‘Bijbel’ printed and bound in 1910, survived the long journey across the Atlantic with the Kuiper family (now the Cooper family) and needed some work to bring it in to the new century.

Design

Methods

The original book laid in tattered form, as often many books from this age are these days. Sadly, I didn’t take any photos of the original condition. But suffice to say it was barely being held together. Thankfully, all pages were accounted for and repairs soon began on the rebinding of the Bijbel. 

To repair paper there are many products that exist these days and are widely available. The best, however, is a Japanese product called Kozo Washi paper. Its malleability, wet strength and long fibres make it an excellent choice for binders and conservators alike.

The leather selection was another matter entirely. One of the most popular choices for design binding is Morocco, a fine goat skin that is thin and beautiful to look upon. When I spoke with the family of the Bijbel, we decided to go in a different direction. Sheepskin is less used but no less beautiful. Much thicker than Morocco, 0.8 cm vs 0.2 cm (approximately) it adds weight and thickness to the finished product, not to mention the amount of paring needed to bring it to folding levels. Its grain and hair follicles are much wider, too, as adult sheep have thick fur and live a bit longer before slaughter. Sheepskin has often been seen in the binding world as less desirable to work with, for there are two layers of skin to contend with that can sometimes play off each other, making it difficult to tool and work with gold leaf.

Last, but certainly not least, are the raised sections of the design. A simple cross bordered by in-turned corners brings this design home with a simple and elegant look, intended to last generations. This was achieved with an ‘underlay’ of thicker boards and tooled after coloring was complete. 

Gallery

Bible Recovery

Bible Recovery

About the Project

Recovering a special heirloom is one of my favorite duties as a bookbinder. In some ways, I feel a certain responsibility to help bring life back to objects like this, if at all possible. This project was no exception.

Desiring to restore a book that meant the world to him, the client reached out with a vision in mind and I was happy to help in any way possible. I was not the least bit surprised to learn that the client was advised by some other binders to just “get a new book” and that rebinding this would “not be worth it”. I’ve heard many binders say things like this in the past and it is a bit disheartening.

Books hold a special place in our hearts, the value of which cannot be determined by most measures of cost or labor. To me, it did not matter what the book was made out of or if I felt it was “worth it” because it was worth it to the client. He loves this book and I could immediately feel that love radiating throughout the text-block. I’ve worked on many bibles in the past and rarely have a seen one with notes on almost every page (~2,500 pages or so)!

The result of our design turned out beautifully. Choosing a simple “Copperhead” brown Morocco, selected both for its quality and supple feel in one’s hand, gives it a timeless elegance that is guaranteed to stand the test of time. For the front decoration, 24k gold leaf was used to reflect the original gilding. I also opted not to guillotine the edges, desiring to keep a remnant of the original and its design. The marbled endleaves are handmade and colored for this project. After asking the client for their favorite colors, a set of papers are produced for the front and back.

Design

IXOYE

Methods

This was a fairly straightforward process and meant to reflect the simple beauty of the book itself. Using copperhead-brown leather and 36pt typeface for the gold stamping, the finished product is both smooth and elegant.

While the original text-block was in shambles, the client was a bit worried if we could do the work without damaging the book in the process. I assured him that we can make this work possible without incident.

Before

As is very common with much-loved books, this bible had seen it’s many fine days of reading and study. Seeing a book in this condition is not at all uncommon for a bookbinder to be asked to repair, and the needs of the book itself do not differ much from fundamental tasks. As you can see on the sine, much of the binding is still somewhat intact, though fraying near the head and tail of the book.

Process

As carefully as possible, each signature is separated from the text-block and the glue is removed. The quality of the paper has much to do with the method needed for glue removal, as the thinner the paper is the more fragile one needs to be to accomplish this task. Additionally, if any paper decides to run or begins to tear, then methyl-cellulose and Japanese tissue paper are needed. Thankfully, I was able to remove everything and resew it all without incident. After the boards are measured, then the case is made to fit the book perfectly, allowing for proper mechanical function of the text along with comfort in the reader’s hand. It is important to remember what the intentions of the customer is for the book after it is all finished. In this case: rigorous use and daily study. Thus, we went with materials and methods that could withstand the passions of the customer’s academic and theological pursuits.