DesignerBookbinders.org.uk
Title
Designer Bookbinders - Contemporary Book Arts
Description
About DB
Designer Bookbinders' history can be traced back to 1951, when the Festival of Britain attempted to revive the spirits of the British people after the hostilities and austerity of the 1940s. The Festival inspired many groups of people to take a positive view of the future and promote various art forms. Bookbinding in Britain at that time was in need of a new approach to its traditional origins.
The formation, in 1951, of the London based Hampstead Guild of Scribes and Bookbinders sought to fulfil this aim but was hampered from the beginning by being too localised and consequently lacked members and funding. It would be four more years, and with the strong and visionary leadership of Edgar Mansfield, before the Guild of Contemporary Bookbinders was formed. It was hoped that this new guild would be more effective by not restricting its geographical catchment to the London area alone.
The first meeting of the new guild was held on April 7, 1955 at 63 Broadwick Street, London and was attended by Edgar Mansfield, Arthur Johnson, Trevor Jones, Arthur Last, Dora and Bernard Middleton. Election to membership was subject to the successful submission of two fine bookbindings as testimony to the quality of an individual's performance in both design and execution.
