More delicious books and news!

While I was busy being anxious about life and all the stuff I have to do, many CBAS members were at the downtown main branch library sharing their own unique books, listening to the good news about Bookworks 12 (49 entries! Our highest level of participation yet) and hearing a fascinating lecture by CBAS member Kazuko Hioki. Read more below!

Example of Edo Period printing and illustration

Fifteen CBAS members gathered on the afternoon of May 1 at the Main Library to be brought up to date on CBAS activities, meet with other book artists, admire the books on the Show-and-Tell table, and listen to a fascinating presentation by Kazuko Hioki, Conservation Librarian at the University of Kentucky.  The focus of Kazuko’s talk was the Edo period of Japanese bookmaking, the subject of her recently completed fellowship at the Library of Congress.  

Kazuko Hioki

Lasting from about 1600 into the 1860s, this trans-formative time in Japanese history saw increases in literacy, advances in printing technology, and an enormous expansion of book production, making books available to a wide and eager audience.  To keep competitive and attract buyers during a time when tens of thousands of small publishing houses came into being, even mathematics books had imaginative designs and ample illustrations.  Several of the examples in Kazuko’s presentation were from these wonderfully detailed mathematics books.  Though many of the structures had simple side stitched bindings, the colorful and often intricately embossed and burnished covers resulted in some truly beautiful books.

After the presentation, everyone gathered around the table where Kazuko had brought examples of about a dozen wonderful books from the Edo period.  Everyone’s favorite was an authentic Edo book Kazuko purchased on eBay for $1!

Thanks to CBAS board member Janice Kagermeier for writing the blog entry.

Many thanks to Kazuko Hioki for sharing her time and expertise with us, and to Jeanne Strauss-deGroote at the Library for making all of the arrangements for the meeting.