My start in bookbinding as a job

Memories of my early years in Bookbinding and the book trade‌ How many generations come together in 2 trades

My First years in the Bookbinding trade The older I get, the more I realize that at times life is an incredible journey with many parts, some we leave behind either by choice or not.

I started bookbinding full-time in 1985. I had just left agriculture college, and my father had a serious car accident, and could not drive into London delivering and collecting work as he did every other Friday. He asked me to drive him and help a little in the Bindery.

It was easy for me to pick up this role as for many years as a child and teenager I would play around the Bindery just as my daughter does now. I would join my dad on his rounds through London visiting customers, delivering 2 weeks’ worth of work and collecting more. At this time everything was in London, so we would head on to the leather suppliers and handmade paper suppliers as well.

I knew the rounds: Putney, Richmond, and into central London‌ Pall Mall, and Charing Cross Road, then out to Berkley Sq., Saville Row, Museum Street. Then I would head home, stopping at the occasional customers on the way if required.

Whilst helping my dad out for beer money and moving back with my parents, I ended up spending more and more time working at the bench and getting to know the customers.

Looking back, I could see the enthusiasm growing amongst the customers that there would be yet another generation of our family servicing the London book trade. Having never known my grandfather, Charles Edward Smart, trading as C.E. Smart since 1934 and binding prior to that in London binderies since the age of 16, this enthusiasm was encouraging.

I realized that my dad’s customers, like Bill and Keith Fletcher, Chaz Sawyer, E. Josephs, Bertram Rota, Pickering & Chatto, to name a few, all knew my grandfather.

So for me I was just helping work for my dad, but to them, they saw a 3rd generation bookbinder in training.

My dad had the same problem that I have had; it is hard to bring on someone in this trade as the only work available to learn on was customers work. Learning was slow, as I was only allowed to do the small things, passing the same book back and forth between my dad and myself. It was frustrating for both.

Having worked now for about a year, one of my favourite stops on my rounds was Cecil Court. This little court to my knowledge was only allowed to have bookshops, and certainly at that point it was full of them, nearly all antiquarian. Parking was difficult, so sometimes I had to drive around the block many times until my father returned from seeing the customers there. If I was lucky we would find a parking space quite often out side the ballet shop, “Freed of London”.

At this time, it did not seem as if it was down to me if I wanted to be a bookbinder. There were a few people that were very encouraging. There were those that we visited that had surprised my father with their enthusiasm for me to join the world of antique books. Mr. and Mrs. Reg Remington, Peter Kay working for Joseph’s on Vere St. along with Richard Sawyer working independently from Joseph’s, Pickering & Chatto; all the staff were friendly and encouraging… Mike Phelps, Anthony Rota and many more.

The big change came when visiting H.M. Fletcher one Friday. Bill Fletcher, Keith Fletcher’s dad, asked me downstairs in the shop, and sorted out three boxes of restoration work. He said I was to practice on the books, and if any were good enough to offer for sale then he would pay for the work that I had done.

That’s how I got started in book restoration.

I got back to the bindery and started working on the boxes of books from Bill.

The best thing was returning to H.M. Fletcher every other Friday with a few finished books, and getting feedback on my work. It made me want to keep going.

Bill Fletcher had known my grandfather quite well and Keith would have known my grandfather as well.

I’m certain that Keith would have helped out with his father at the shop before joining full time in 1957.

He would have then worked with my grandfather, Charles Smart and my father, John Smart, for four years before my grandfather died in 1961. At that time, many of these shops were 2nd or 3rd generation and they helped my dad to understand the business from the dealer’s point of view. He would have taken over from my grandfather when he was just 21 years old.

Recently, I posted a photo to social media of my 10 year old daughter working on a book at the bindery for David Brass. It was great to see Keith Fletcher make a comment: “Is this really Charlie’s great grand-daughter? Congratulations – with her genes she should go far!” It was an incredible feeling for me to think that yes, she really is “Charlie’s great grand-daughter”.

Writing this I have found I have so much more to say and remember. I may just carry on from time to time…….

Richard Smart