author
Douglas Cockerell
1870–1945
A leading British bookbinder of the Arts and Crafts era, he helped shape modern ideas about how books should be made, repaired, and preserved. His writing brought the practical craft of binding within reach of both librarians and amateurs.
1 Audiobook
Bookbinding, and the Care of Books A Handbook for Amateurs, Bookbinders & Librarians
by Douglas Cockerell
About the author
Born in London in 1870, Douglas Bennett Cockerell became one of Britain’s best-known bookbinders and authors on the craft. He trained at the Doves Bindery under T. J. Cobden-Sanderson from 1893 to 1897, then opened his own bindery in London, where he built a strong reputation for fine workmanship and thoughtful book repair.
Cockerell was not only a maker but also a teacher and writer. His best-known book, Bookbinding, and the Care of Books (1901), was written for bookbinders, librarians, and interested beginners, and it helped explain both the beauty and the practical discipline of the trade in clear terms.
His influence lasted well beyond his own workshop. He taught students who would become important binders in their own right, and his work stood at the meeting point of craftsmanship, design, and the long-term care of books. He died in 1945.