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Articles - May - 2022 Issue

Jon Buller, Master Hand Bookbinder (Detroit area)

- by Maureen E. Mulvihill, Guest Writer

On May 1st, 2022, the Book Club of Detroit (founded, 1957; current president, novelist Charlene Kull) hosts Master Hand Bookbinder, Jon Buller. As founder of Bessenberg Bindery, he served Detroit-area professionals, librarians, and collectors for nearly 50 years. His talk discusses the evolution of the European tradition of hand bookbinding, and he will present (physical) examples of binding styles. He is now passing on his expertise to younger hands. For illustrated feature by Guest Writer & former Detroiter, Maureen E. Mulvihill, Click Here.

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Posted On: 2022-05-07 20:01
User Name: mairin

A quick note to acknowledge the prompt & cordial assistance of Jon Buller, also Charlene Kull and Maurice
Barie (Book Club of Detroit), in the development of this article. And special thanks, as well, to Michael Stillman
(Rare Book Hub) for seamless installation, as always, and close care with the 'Guild of BookWorkers'
logo in the Buller photo. Mr Buller recently wrote that his talk was well-attended, well-received, with a lively Q&A.
He was pleased to have had the opportunity to discuss hand bookbinding and especially to present
a variety of visual items (bookbinding styles, slides, catalogues). He found the experience "a good exercise";
and is now hoping to possibly digitize his considerable slide collection to enable broad access to these
beautiful objects. For bibliophiles like Jon Buller, hand bookbinding is both a craft and an art form.
Thank you, John. And thank you, Bruce McKinney (Rare Book Hub), for hosting the article.
- Maureen E. Mulvihill, Rare Book Collector (early women writers) / Guest Writer, Rare Book Hub.

Rare Book Monthly

  • <b><center>DOYLE<BR>Rare Books, Autographs & Maps<br>July 23, 2025</center></b> <b>DOYLE, July 23:</b> WALL, BERNHARDT. <i>Greenwich Village. Types, Tenements & Temples.</i> Estimate $300-500 <b>DOYLE, July 23:</b> STOKES, I. N. PHELPS. <i>The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498-1909.</i> New York: Robert H. Dodd, 1915-28. Estimate: $3,000-5,000 <b>DOYLE, July 23:</b> [AUTOGRAPH - US PRESIDENT]FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. A signed photograph of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Estimate $500-800 <b>DOYLE, July 23:</b> [ARION PRESS]. ABBOTT, EDWIN A. <i>Flatland. A Romance of Many Dimensions.</i> San Francisco, 1980. Estimate $2,000-3,000. <b>DOYLE, July 23:</b> TOLSTOY, LYOF N. and NATHAN HASKELL DOLE, translator. <i>Anna Karénina ... in eight parts.</i> New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., [1886]. Estimate: $400-600 <b>DOYLE, July 23:</b> ROWLING, J.K. <i>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.</i> London: Bloomsbury, 2000. Estimate $1,200-1,800
    DOYLE
    Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
    July 23, 2025
    DOYLE, July 23: WALL, BERNHARDT. Greenwich Village. Types, Tenements & Temples. Estimate $300-500
    DOYLE, July 23: STOKES, I. N. PHELPS. The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498-1909. New York: Robert H. Dodd, 1915-28. Estimate: $3,000-5,000
    DOYLE, July 23: [AUTOGRAPH - US PRESIDENT]FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. A signed photograph of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Estimate $500-800
    DOYLE, July 23: [ARION PRESS]. ABBOTT, EDWIN A. Flatland. A Romance of Many Dimensions. San Francisco, 1980. Estimate $2,000-3,000.
    DOYLE, July 23: TOLSTOY, LYOF N. and NATHAN HASKELL DOLE, translator. Anna Karénina ... in eight parts. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., [1886]. Estimate: $400-600
    DOYLE, July 23: ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. London: Bloomsbury, 2000. Estimate $1,200-1,800
  • <center><b>Freeman’s | Hindman<br>Western Manuscripts and Miniatures<br>July 8, 2025</b></center> <b>Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8.</b> FRANCESCO PETRARCH (b. Arezzo, 20 July 1304; d. Arqua Petrarca, 19 July 1374). $20,000-30,000. <b>Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8.</b> CIRCLE OF THE MASTER OF THE VITAE IMPERATORUM (active Milan, 1431-1459). $15,000-20,000. <b>Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8.</b> CIRCLE OF ATTAVANTE DEGLI ATTAVANTI (GABRIELLO DI VANTE) (active Florence, c. 1452-c. 1520/25). $15,000-20,000. <b>Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8.</b> FOLLOWER OF HERMAN SCHEERE (active London, c. 1405-1425). $15,000-20,000. <b>Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8.</b> An exceptionally rare, illuminated music leaf from a Mozarabic Antiphonal with sister leaves mostly in museum collections. $11,500-14,000. <b>Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8.</b> Exceptional leaf from a prestigious Antiphonary by a leading illuminator of the late Duecento. $11,500-14,000. <b>Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8.</b> CIRCLE OF THE MASTER OF MS REID 33 and SELWERD ABBEY SCRIPTORIUM (AGNES MARTINI?) (active The Netherlands, Groningen, c. 1468-1510). $10,000-15,000. <b>Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8.</b> Previously unknown illumination from one of the most renowned Gothic Choir Book sets of the Middle Ages. $6,000-8,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman
    Western Manuscripts and Miniatures
    July 8, 2025
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. FRANCESCO PETRARCH (b. Arezzo, 20 July 1304; d. Arqua Petrarca, 19 July 1374). $20,000-30,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. CIRCLE OF THE MASTER OF THE VITAE IMPERATORUM (active Milan, 1431-1459). $15,000-20,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. CIRCLE OF ATTAVANTE DEGLI ATTAVANTI (GABRIELLO DI VANTE) (active Florence, c. 1452-c. 1520/25). $15,000-20,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. FOLLOWER OF HERMAN SCHEERE (active London, c. 1405-1425). $15,000-20,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. An exceptionally rare, illuminated music leaf from a Mozarabic Antiphonal with sister leaves mostly in museum collections. $11,500-14,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. Exceptional leaf from a prestigious Antiphonary by a leading illuminator of the late Duecento. $11,500-14,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. CIRCLE OF THE MASTER OF MS REID 33 and SELWERD ABBEY SCRIPTORIUM (AGNES MARTINI?) (active The Netherlands, Groningen, c. 1468-1510). $10,000-15,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. Previously unknown illumination from one of the most renowned Gothic Choir Book sets of the Middle Ages. $6,000-8,000.
  • <b><center>Sotheby’s<br>Books, Manuscripts and Music from Medieval to Modern<br>Now through July 10, 2025</center></b> <b>Sotheby’s, Ending July 10:</b> Book of Hours by the Masters of Otto van Moerdrecht, Use of Sarum, in Latin, Southern Netherlands (Bruges), c.1450. £20,000 to £30,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Ending July 10:</b> Albert Einstein. Autograph letter signed, to Attilio Palatino, on his research into General Relativity, 12 May 1929. £12,000 to £18,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Ending July 10:</b> John Gould. <i>The Birds of Europe,</i> [1832-] 1837, 5 volumes, contemporary half morocco, subscriber’s copy. £40,000 to £60,000. <b><center>Sotheby’s<br>Books, Manuscripts and Music from Medieval to Modern<br>Now through July 10, 2025</center></b> <b>Sotheby’s, Ending July 10:</b> Ian Fleming. A collection of James Bond first editions, 8 volumes in all. £8,000 to £12,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Ending July 10:</b> J.K. Rowling. <i>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,</i> 1997, first edition, hardback issue. £50,000 to £70,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Ending July 10:</b> J.R.R. Tolkien. Autograph letter signed, to Amy Ronald, on Pauline Baynes's map of Middle Earth, 1970. £7,000 to £10,000.
    Sotheby’s
    Books, Manuscripts and Music from Medieval to Modern
    Now through July 10, 2025
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: Book of Hours by the Masters of Otto van Moerdrecht, Use of Sarum, in Latin, Southern Netherlands (Bruges), c.1450. £20,000 to £30,000.
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: Albert Einstein. Autograph letter signed, to Attilio Palatino, on his research into General Relativity, 12 May 1929. £12,000 to £18,000.
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: John Gould. The Birds of Europe, [1832-] 1837, 5 volumes, contemporary half morocco, subscriber’s copy. £40,000 to £60,000.
    Sotheby’s
    Books, Manuscripts and Music from Medieval to Modern
    Now through July 10, 2025
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: Ian Fleming. A collection of James Bond first editions, 8 volumes in all. £8,000 to £12,000.
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue. £50,000 to £70,000.
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: J.R.R. Tolkien. Autograph letter signed, to Amy Ronald, on Pauline Baynes's map of Middle Earth, 1970. £7,000 to £10,000.
  • <b><center>Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!</center></b>
    Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!

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