A Tradition of Fine Hand Bookbinding and Restoration

Part of the joy of a finely bound book is the feeling of history in your hands. Restoration preserves as much as possible of the original binding, while making the books structurally sound and usable. With an extensive knowledge of the history of bookbinding, Lehmann Bindery has earned an excellent international reputation for the quality of work we produce. Whether it is Grandma's cookbook, the family Bible or a rare first edition, we can make it durable and beautiful.

Using tools hundreds of years old, Lehmann Bindery produces bindings to match most historical periods. At the same time, we take into account modern concerns of conservation. Lehmann Bindery uses only the finest materials and techniques to provide bindings that have the traditional feel of a works of art that, at the same time, will last for generations.

For more modern books, Lehmann Bindery extends the age-old craft of hand bookbinding into the 21st century. Using traditional techniques and materials, we produce bindings of modern design to reflect the artistic interpretation of modern times. Working closely with our clients, we develop motifs that express the feelings of the written word into the abstract form of the bindings.

For fragile or rare books, in many cases the best solution is a conservation box (clamshell) to house them. Lehmann Bindery has made these for such diverse items as the first edition of Kepler's work, to the hand-written notes of Richard Nixon while a law student at Duke University. Boxes can be cloth bound (pictured) or covered in ornate leather with real gold leaf decorations, looking like a finely bound volume on the shelf. Our conservation boxes are tailor-made for each item.

A simpler solution for many books is to make a slipcase for them.  Though slipcases do not provide the same level of protection that a clamshell box does, they still protect the book and keep the pages under constant pressure.

Lehmann Bindery specializes in limited editions.  These can be copies of their book that the author wishes to give to friends and family or limited editions of special books that the publisher wants to market.  Each is hand made and often involve custom marble papers from Peggy Skycraft.  We work closely with the author or publisher to bring forth their idea of how the finished book should look.