Dorothy Olsen Garwood

This posting is dedicated to Dorothy Olsen Garwood, whose keen eye and respect for contemporary crafts was truly an inspiration, passed on through her daughter, my dear friend Kiki (her recipes, too!). When I first met Dorothy in 1974, she was a buyer for The Egg and the Eye in Los Angeles, later known as the Craft and Folk Art Museum. Dorothy died June 30, 2009, at age 88. Here she is pictured ca. 1980 in a jacket crafted by her daughter.

When I was struck with the desire to learn fine bookbinding in 1978, study opportunities were limited in the United States. In the end, I found a certificate course at the London College of Printing, which I began in August of 1980.

At that time in the UK there was a clear distinction between the professional bookbinder and the craft bookbinder. Professionals earned their title beginning with the commitment of the traditional seven-year apprenticeship system, not really available to young women. Hence, a brief one or two year course with an overview of hand binding including both forwarding and finishing was considered a craft course.

A century ago, the word “craft” was revered following the Arts & Crafts revival started by William Morris in late 19th century England. The movement hit the United States like a fever as numerous art schools and programs were established including the Guild of Book Workers in New York City in 1906 and my own California College of Arts & Crafts, established in 1907 in Oakland, California. Sadly, just four years before its centennial, in 2003 my college (CCAC) dropped the “Crafts” in its name, now called the California College of the Arts, or CCA.

Priscilla's first attempt at design binding, 1981 LCP student work.

I was and am still proud of the craft of what I have chosen to pursue, the craft of bookbinding, more specifically fine binding. I am an artisan, using my craft for artistic expression.

It was the craft in the California College of Arts & Crafts that drew me as a hopeful textile major in 1972. By the time I received my degree in 1975, my focus had become lithography. Printmaking led me to the handmade book through a letterpress course taught by the esteemed Betsy Davids of the Rebis Press, Berkeley, a long-time professor at CCAC. Within five years I was studying the craft of fine bookbinding. It has been a choice that has remained a challenge and interest for me these 30-plus years.

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