Bookbinding tools, equipment and materials

X

X

X

X

X

Mark Esser began his training in bookbinding in 1979 at Boston’s Harcourt Bindery, which was founded in 1900. In addition to owning and running the largest hand bindery in the country, Sam Ellenport had also started the Harcourt School of Bookbinding, and there trained many renowned American bookbinders, including Mark Esser.

Mark then worked in the Conservation Bindery at the Newberry Library in Chicago while studying privately with bookbinder David Brock. Brock had apprenticed with master bookbinder William Anthony, and recommended that Anthony consider Mark Esser as a second apprentice. Esser apprenticed with William Anthony from 1982 to 1986, first at Anthony & Associates in Chicago and then at the Conservation Department of the University of Iowa Libraries.

Anthony acted as a traditional master when training Mark Esser. Mark is quoted describing the apprenticeship, “He made me responsible for my own learning. He would give me five or six books to work on and among the pile of books would be some new work with no explanation. I had to ask the questions. I always asked a lot of questions, but it was up to me to draw out the answers.” While William Anthony’s apprentice, Mark made models of historic bindings.

X

X