Belmont, Massachusetts
Member for 47 years
Shakespeare's Poems
Navy blue morocco, gold leaf tooling and die-stamping.
31.8 x 19.7 x 2.5 cm
Completed in 2014
Can you speak about one technique you used and its history in the field of book work?
I have always tried to introduce a new angle into very traditional and often simple decorating patterns, mostly in gold. I started using rondels, made from rotating a single line pallet around a central point, on several bindings - simple and eye appealing. In this instance I wanted a central front cover design. Instead of rotating a single line pallet I began experimenting with a capital letter. Rotating the "S" proved effective. Introducing one element of the rotating "S' with a heavier line gave a subtlety to the design.
Sam Ellenport left a teaching career to become a bookbinder in 1971. He was mentored at The Harcourt Bindery. His enthusiasm for the craft has never waned, and he has taken delight in the friendships made over the years.
