Alchemists
Born in Great Britain, apprenticed as a bookbinder for 6 years, followed by a 2 year Masters in conservation, restoration and period bookbinding.I have been a traditional bookbinder for 45 years, and self employed for 36 years, and in that time I have had great success slowly re-introducing traditional bookbinding back to it's rightful place....as an art form. I have recently re-located my workshop from the UK to Victoria BC,Canada.
"The trade of a Bookbinder has been ranked among the most difficult of the arts......... The appearance of a book, to a casual observer, seems to require little talent, but if the various subdivisions of the work (which form not less than sixty) are considered, and in the proper execution, of which consists the Art of Bookbinding, it will not be surprising to find how few men have arrived at eminence in it". John Hannett "Bibliopegia" 1831.
Paul Tronson is a Master Bookbinder who's work is inspired by the great Masters of the last millennium, including Roger Payne, Samuel Mearne, Le Gascon, Padeloup, Nicholas and Clovis Eve et al; I've spent many years working out exactly how they applied their genius and hopefully capture a shadow of it in my own work.I work with mediums made by myself and practice over 70 different antiquarian and incunabula styles of bookbinding. I have also developed a range of non aggressive formulae for the safe removal of many stains including foxing, ink, library stamps, sticky tapes, crayon..etc...