The book arts are thriving. This is a field with a history that is also experiencing a vibrant present. There are so many ways to participate, as a collector or artistic contributor. No doubt the skills to create and the judgment to acquire are dispersed around the globe so that whether you live in Johannesburg, Moscow, Paris, Melbourne, Phoenix or New York there are opportunities to see material at local libraries and at dealers, online for sale and upcoming at auction. This material enjoys broad support. It makes it a very exciting collecting area. So, to whoever said you can not tell a book by its cover they perhaps have not collected in this small but appealing slice of book collecting. It turns out you can. Who knew.

Links:

This month the AE Comet focuses on this area of collecting: The Art of the Book: The June AE Comet.

A Reference Auction for those interested in the Book as Art [Sotheby 5699]

The Guild of Book Workers: http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/gbw/index.shtml

The Guild of Book Workers 100th Anniversary Exhibition: http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/gbw/gallery/100anniversary/index.shtml