Cathy Adelman Eye Candy

On By American BoundIn Exhibits, Eye Candy

It’s MINE!!!

I won the drawing for the book I wanted in the InsideOUT exhibit: Cathy Adelman‘s binding of The Bicycle Diaries, text by Richard Goodman, color wood engravings by Gaylord Schanilec, published by Midnight Paper Sales, 2011.

Everything about it is right for me: American binder, American press, American artist, meaningful New York topic, and drop-dead gorgeous binding. Plus, my husband is an avid cyclist.

Leather spine with wooden boards covered with grey bird's-eye maple veneer inland with aluminum rods. The rods are arranged in the spoke pattern of a bicycle wheel. Grey Fabriano 'Roma' enpapers. 238 x 150 x 20mm
Leather spine with wooden boards covered with grey bird’s-eye maple veneer inland with aluminum rods. The rods are arranged in the spoke pattern of a bicycle wheel. Grey Fabriano ‘Roma’ endpapers. 238 x 150 x 20mm

 

Detail
Detail

 

In celebration of my first acquisition (commissions not yet delivered don’t count), we are going to have a little Cathy Adelman fest. Make sure you take a look at her stunning portfolio on her website as well. I’m hoping to avoid duplication.

 

Stone Eye. Multi-colored silk endbands, marbled end sheets, graphite edges. Covered in full black oasis goatskin with leather hinges. Onlays of variously colored leathers. Blind tooled, title tooled in gold. Created by Richard Taylor, Kentucky's former poet laureate, and Gray Zeitz, letterpress printer and publisher of Larkspur Press. Wood engravings by Canadian artist Wesley Bates. Minnesota Guild of Book Workers exhibit 2002.
Stone Eye.
Multi-colored silk endbands, marbled end sheets, graphite edges. Covered in full black oasis goatskin with leather hinges. Onlays of variously colored leathers. Blind tooled, title tooled in gold. Created by Richard Taylor, Kentucky’s former poet laureate, and Gray Zeitz, letterpress printer and publisher of Larkspur Press. Wood engravings by Canadian artist Wesley Bates. Minnesota Guild of Book Workers exhibit 2002.

 

Oasis goatskin binding with raised bands, blind and gold tooling, silk endbands, graphite edge; matching chemise and slipcase; marbled paper by Karli Frigge. 26.5 x 19 x 3 cm. Bound in 2002 for CBBAG The Art of the Book exhibit 2003
Recollections.
Oasis goatskin binding with raised bands, blind and gold tooling, silk endbands, graphite edge; matching chemise and slipcase; marbled paper by Karli Frigge.
26.5 x 19 x 3 cm.
Bound in 2002 for CBBAG The Art of the Book exhibit 2003

 

 

Franz Kafka, Josephine the Singer, Press Intermezzo. This millimeter binding is covered in paper designed by the binder, with leather trim at the head and tail of spine. Leather endbands, graphite edge, leather label, titled with foil. 20cm x 16 x 1cm. Edelpappband Bind-o-Rama 2005.
Franz Kafka, Josephine the Singer, Press Intermezzo.
This millimeter binding is covered in paper designed by the binder, with leather trim at the head and tail of spine. Leather endbands, graphite edge, leather label, titled with foil.
20cm x 16 x 1cm.
Edelpappband Bind-o-Rama 2005.

 

Estonian children, The Best Thing in the World, 2005. Poems and fairytales written by Estonian children, bound in a bradel style binding with a gray leather spine, gray bird’s eye maple boards, graphite edge, leather endbands, paladium title. The endpapers and slip case cover are original drawings by the binder. 26.4 x 20.5 x 2 centimeters. Created 2005. Guild of Book Workers 100th Anniversary exhibit, 2006
Estonian children, The Best Thing in the World, 2005.
Poems and fairytales written by Estonian children, bound in a bradel style binding with a gray leather spine, gray bird’s eye maple boards, graphite edge, leather endbands, paladium title. The endpapers and slip case cover are original drawings by the binder. 26.4 x 20.5 x 2 centimeters.
Created 2005.
Guild of Book Workers 100th Anniversary exhibit, 2006

 

Edward Lear, Another Nonsense Story, The Old Stile Press, GB, 1990; Dos-a-Dos structure, marbled paper binding with leather endbands. Hand Bookbinders of California exhibit 2006.
Edward Lear, Another Nonsense Story, The Old Stile Press, GB, 1990; Dos-a-Dos structure, marbled paper binding with leather endbands. Hand Bookbinders of California exhibit 2006.

 

John Muir. Heaven on Earth. Illustrated by Charles D. Jones. Austin: Press Intermezzo, 1998. A French style binding with laced-on boards. The top edge is graphite with red silk hand sewn endbands. The book is covered in black goatskin with black emery paper and black morocco onlays, enclosed in a traditional chemise and slipcase. The shape and texture of the onlays suggest the mountain ranges dear to John Muir in his exploration of Yosemite. Sample binding submitted to the 2009 DeGolyer competition
John Muir. Heaven on Earth. Illustrated by Charles D. Jones. Austin: Press Intermezzo, 1998.
A French style binding with laced-on boards. The top edge is graphite with red silk hand sewn endbands. The book is covered in black goatskin with black emery paper and black morocco onlays, traditional chemise and slipcase. 
Sample binding submitted to the 2009 DeGolyer competition

 

 

Letter of Elizabeth, Lady Chandos, to Francis Bacon. French Style binding in full box calf leather with box calf doublures, fly leaves and onlays 20.3 x 15.5 x 1.4 cm Philadelphia Guild of Bookworkers show at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, June, 2011 and Venice Italy, October, 2011
Letter of Elizabeth, Lady Chandos, to Francis Bacon. French style binding in full box calf leather with box calf doublures, fly leaves and onlays 20.3 x 15.5 x 1.4 cm Philadelphia Guild of Bookworkers show at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, June, 2011 and Venice Italy, October, 2011

 

Dires Erotiques Haikus. Society of Bookbinders exhibit 2011
Dires Erotiques Haikus. Society of Bookbinders exhibit 2011

 

La couleur du vent. Full leather. Mosaic décor set with dark red box. Bound ca. 2013 for ARA exhibit 2013-2014
Gilles Vigneualt. La couleur du vent. Full leather. Mosaic décor set with dark red box. Bound ca. 2013 for ARA exhibit 2013-2014

 

 

 

6 thoughts on “Cathy Adelman Eye Candy”

  1. Richard, I would not have bought the book if it had not had a text that was important to me. Gaylord’s amazing art and Cathy’s stunning binding would not have been enough. Thank you, fellow NYer.

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  2. It was a supreme honor to work with Gaylord on this book. He made whatever I wrote look beautiful. His illustrations are amazing. I admire Cathy Adelman’s binding, and I’m glad to see it will be in good hands. RG

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  3. There are much better photos on her website, and she has promised me some others. Her craftsmanship is incredible. The Bicycle Diaries is superb. I hope I get to hold it in my hands when it gets to Harvard. I’ve yet to see it in person, but I knew I had to have it. I still can’t believe it’s mine!

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  4. I am glad to see Cathy Adelman is getting her truly deserved attention. She is an absolute perfectionist with a sophisticated design sense. None of the photographs do her work justice. The careful attention to detail, the feel and mix of materials, the beauty of the subtlety are unable to be captured by the photograph. Her work is getting better all the time, and the Bicycle Diaries is my absolute favorite as well.

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  5. I think, after examining her amazing online portfolio, it is the best thing she has ever done. I agree with you about the book itself. The whole package is magic. So now I’m broke, but don’t care so much.

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  6. Ah, how lucky you are! The cover looks even better in real life than it does in the catalogue – there is an austere beauty about this design, a visual simplicity; the spokes give life to the background, the contrast between the whorls of the veneer and the sheen of the aluminium is heightened by reflected light – the wheel doesn’t spin, but you get a sense of how it might like to. I think this is the best book Gaylord Schanilac has done, epitome of a private press book with its balance of text and illustration, a book to read, much better in my mind than Silva or Mayflies.

    Cathy was at the opening, and it was a pleasant surprise to see her there, caught thus between California and Italy.

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