San Francisco Center for the Book

This workshop will explore the potentials of placing a scroll in a codex bindings cover, considering the mechanics, past uses, and postulating new structures and applications.

Participants will make two 3x6 inch scrolling books that have a paper scroll text block wrapped around wooden dowels, mounted in wooden framework, then bound in a paper covered case binding.

Time will be allocated to decorate the bindings and add text to the scroll. Workshop attendees should come prepared with a short quote for a text.

Basic paper will be provided but it is suggested you bring interesting paper to use for the covers and scrolling text page. You may also want to bring paints, watercolors, pens, rubberstamps, images to collage, etc. to illustrate and add text to your books.

SFCB's Windgate Scholarship Fund is dedicated to providing need-based financial support to individuals interested in learning bookbinding, letterpress printing, and related book arts. Click here to apply.

Prerequisite: Some bookmaking experience is preferred.

Materials to bring: Students are encouraged to bring beautiful paper and art supplies to individualize their work, as well as their own bookbinding tools if they have them.

About the Instructor: Peter Thomas is a book artist from Santa Cruz. He works collaboratively with Donna Thomas, making both edition and one-of-a-kind books. They make the paper, print, illustrate and bind their books, combining the precision of the fine press aesthetic with the structural creativity found in contemporary artists' books. In 2004 Quarry Press published their “More Making Books by Hand,” between 2009-2019 they traveled the country as the "Wandering Book Artists,” and in 2022 The Legacy Press published Peter and Donna Thomas: Bibliography, 1974–2020.