Found a 1940s bookbinding manual at a garage sale that blew my mind

I got lucky at a garage sale in Austin last weekend and picked up a bookbinding manual from 1943. What surprised me was how much they relied on animal glues and hand-sewn cords for every single step. I expected older methods to be simpler, but this book had like 15 detailed steps just for preparing the spine. It made me realize how much modern materials like PVA glue and pre-made boards have sped things up. Has anyone else found an old manual that taught them something totally different from what we do now?

2 comments

2 Comments

noah9171mo ago

Dude yes I found a 1950s woodworking book that insisted on hide glue for everything and it blew my mind.

the_vera1mo agoMost Upvoted

Started with that exact book actually. Ended up mixing my own hide glue from granules, it's a whole process but man does it hold strong. I found it works best if you keep the glue pot around 140 degrees and work fast, especially in winter.