Sam Ellenport, Harcourt Bindery
My six year old Daughter and I made the trip up to Harcourt Bindery in Boston this past weekend for their equipment and materials sale. Harcourt is one of the finest and oldest hand bookbinding studios in America. Sam Ellenport, president and head bookbinder, encouraged me to make a go at bookbinding on my own 17 years ago. He also set up the bookbinding program at the North Bennet Street School in 1986 by donating all of their bookbinding equipment to the school. He’s very modest, and well loved in the world of bookbinding.
Harcourt may be moving soon (or later), which is why Sam was having the sale. The bindery has been at the same location for 21 years (formerly in Copley Place in Boston) but the area they are located in is seeing quite a bit of gentrification and their manufacturing space may eventually be turned into residential and commercial lofts. There are no firm plans as to a new location, nor is there a scheduled moving date. There is a lot of equipment to move and it’s no easy task moving any manufacturing space - we know this from first hand experience. We wish Harcourt luck with the move and will try to blog it here when it happens.
In the meantime, there are still materials and binding equipment for sale and you can call Harcourt direct at 617 542 5858 for more information. (They have a gorgeous Jacques Shears for sale!)
Job Backer: $850.00
Book Press: $800.00
Ancient Drill Press
Drill Press
Ink for the museum quality ledger paper printing machine
Ink
Ledger Printing Machine. The threads, which make the machine look like a loom, hold the ink and are re-positionable to create different column widths. The threads are lowered onto the paper to create the vertical and horizontal lines on ledger sheets. Sam said the machine was last used in March, 2001
Ledger Printing Machine
Ledger Printing Machine
Paginator - this machine is used to sequentially number individual sheets of paper for binding.
Lots of Jacques!
Marbleized Papers
Type Drawers
Inside The Type Drawers
Stamping Tools
One of the Binding stations
Type Drawers
A table-top Jacques Shears: $750.00
Visit Harcourt Bindery
Visit North Bennet Street School