About Bernard Middleton
Bernard Chester Middleton (29 October 1924 – 28 January 2019) was a preeminent British restoration bookbinder. He was regarded as one of the foremost book craftsmen and trade historians of modern times, lecturing and teaching in Europe (Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands) and the Americas (Brazil, the United States, and Venezuela). He authored two major works, A History of English Craft Bookbinding Technique (1963) and The Restoration of Leather Bindings (1972), which became essential reading for professional bookbinders, scholars and collectors. In the trade, he was known as "The Great Man". He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 1951 and, in 1986, was awarded an MBE for services to bookbinding. His gold-tooled bindings may be seen in the British Library, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Royal Library, Windsor, and the Wormsley Library, and in other major libraries worldwide. His second landmark work, The Restoration of Leather Bindings, was first published in 1972.
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