November 7, 2014
Big River Bindery in the Hilltop Campus Village
A new and exciting business just opened up in the Hilltop Campus Village. Big River Bindery, LLC is located at 230 W. 15th Street, Davenport, Iowa, just across the street to the north of the Hilltop Park. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Big River is a book arts studio, performing conservation and restoration of older books, custom books and boxes, as well as letterpress printing.
The owner, Andrew Huot, recently relocated to the Quad Cities after serving as the Conservator and Preservation Specialist at Illinois State University Library in Normal, Illinois, where he cared for the collections of the library. He has also repaired and conserved books at a number of University and Research Libraries across the country.
Big River is available to protect book or paper items that suffer from time and use: a family Bible, your mother’s prized cookbook, a baptismal record. The methods used to conserve historic items combines science and art to analyze and repair flaking paper and broken leather.
They also will be working with artists and collectors to protect their items. Boxes and enclosures to present and display artwork and books are custom made using hard board, cloth and leather. A custom wedding album or family history book can be made to reflect the content and future use, with hand-made details not available in commercially made items.
The equipment you will see in the shop is big, heavy, and old. From cutting and printing machines, to the presses that hold the books while drying. It’s a step into slower times. In the back of the shop, you’ll find an area for letterpress
printing, where they can print custom cards and announcements with the look and feel that only letterpress can achieve.
Big River Bindery will be offering classes for those who want to try bookbinding and printing for themselves. Evening and weekend classes in bookbinding, book arts, and letterpress printing are open now.
A Grand Opening is scheduled for Saturday, November 1, from 3 to 7 p.m. Stop by and try your hand at making a folded pamphlet book or printing on the letterpress. Examples of book repair and conservation, boxes and bindings, and some of the artists’ books and prints will be on display.
For more information and to register for classes, visit www.bigriverbindery.com or call at (309) 660-5583.
