North Bennet Street School

Dates: Monday, August 17 - Thursday, August 20 (4 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Erin Fletcher BB '12

French binder Jean de Gonet crafted an alternative to the overly stiff bindings traditional from earlier centuries, while also developing a unique eclectic aesthetic that became undeniably linked to his legacy. Breaking away from these stiffly bound books, de Gonet’s structure creates a less rigid binding that offers more flexibility between the reader and the text. His innovation went on to inspire countless other binders, such asSün Evrard, Carmencho Arregui, Anne Goy and Edgard Claes, who pushed his structure even further.

In this workshop, we’ll be creating a de Gonet inspired binding that takes additional influences from Evrard’s Simplified Binding and Claes’ Dorfner Binding. Our models will follow in de Gonet’s footsteps by blending traditional with unconventional materials. Students will get the opportunity to work with leather in this workshop.

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies will be provided for this class. 

Prerequisite:Students should have some previous binding experience. If you have any questions about your experience, please contact ce@nbss.edu. 

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose closthing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ by the class start date to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Please Note: North Bennet Street School will be undergoing exterior construction this summer, which may cause occasional noise or temporary changes to building access.