Book: Jacket book
Video:
About the Project:
When I first began to study bookbinding, I started with simple terminology. I learned that books have (among other parts) heads, tails, shoulders, joints, spines, and faces. As my knowledge and practice deepened, these terms came to feel less like technical jargon and more like an anatomy.
“Jacket Book” addresses the natural human desire to relate to our beloved objects through personification.
We personify books often in plain speech. A book can be a friend or companion. A powerful book can grip us, or even take us places. When we find something important, we modify our language to elevate that thing to a human-like level of dignity and relatability.
This book features a rounded-back, sewn together with a basic French link. The cover fabric was made from an old striped oxford shirt, the back of which was the largest continuous piece. I combined the shirting with some thin unryu paper using heat ‘n bond adhesive. Details like buttons, buttonholes, and a pocket were also transferred from the original garment.
The jacket was made from an oversized front-zip coat with a fine suede texture that I got from a thrift store. Originally, I had planned to includes sleeves in the design. When I started prototyping this idea however, the sleeves felt a little too goofy and chaotic. I resolved to leave the book without them. From the jacket I kept the large back piece, the entire liner, the collar, and zipper. I modified all of these parts down to the scale of the book. A jacket that fit like it was tailored.
This idea comes from the concept of a book jacket. Sometimes called a "dust jacket”, this term typically refers to a sleeve made from paper, designed to wrap around the cover of a book and display some information about its contents.
To a book, a jacket is expected to fulfill the same demands that we (humans) make of our jackets. That is, to protect and decorate.
“Jacket Book” is further inspired by the work of Pippa Garner, whose show Imaginary Inventions I saw at the Whitney Museum in 2024. Pippa used parody, literalism, and personification to bring absurd ideas to the physical world. I recommend their Better Living Catalogue (1982), which is as goofy as it is impressive and provocative.
Please enjoy these images of the making of “Jacket Book”.
MATERIALS
Boards - Davey’s Binder Board - 98pt
Paper - 24/60lbs - White
Thread - French waxed linen thread (size 25)
Endpapers - Canson Mi-teintes drawing paper, blue - 98lbs
Headband - Silk 5/8”
Book Cloth - Oxford shirting bonded to unryu paper
While this is not intended to be a tutorial, you may feel inspired and/or challenged to use some of the featured techniques to make something functional and beautiful. I hope this is the case.
If you have any questions about this project or otherwise, contact Bounty Archive Management.
