This bookbinding prize challenges and rewards “book surgeons” from Orléans and elsewhere

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A long-term project! April 2024the model proposed by Allison Blanc-Aubert to the manuscript Rock by Charles Peguy was declared the winner of the Price of the binding from Orleans (Loiret).

This Friday September 13, 2024the latter handed over the original manuscript bound by her care to the representatives of the center and the author’s collections (network of media libraries in the city).

A prize that rewards “book surgeons”

Existing since 2005the latter aims to highlight the rich heritage of Orléans by offering professional bookbinders – in France or abroad – the opportunity to create a binding for a manuscript from the city’s heritage collections.

Four previous editions have taken place respectively in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011. During these last, more than 50 professional bookbinders were able to propose their projects.

A 2024 edition based on a book by Charles Peguy

On the occasion of the 150 years since the death of Charles Peguy (1873-1914), the media library network offered to work on the manuscript Rock. A text that the author wrote to his 25 years oldin 1899, to talk about his childhood in Orléans, his modest family background and the jobs of his time.

Participants in this 5th edition received a digital technical file and also had the opportunity to come and see the manuscript before embarking – or not – on the adventure. In total, ten projects were in the running.

Ultimately, two prizes were awarded according to the following criteria: aesthetic quality, the technique of the proposal, understanding of the constraints and conservation of the document.

The winner of the 2024 bookbinding prize

Allison Blanc-Aubert is trained in the diploma of artistic crafts in bookbinding and gilding at the Estienne school from 2007 to 2009She then continued her training with an internship in Belgium and obtained a City of Paris Arts and Crafts Development Scholarship in 2011.

Of 2013 to 2021she deepened her practice within the workshop of Nathalie Lemaître, Best Worker of France (MOF) before setting up on his own.

In the following years, she participated in several competitions and exhibitions and regularly collaborated with a restoration workshop, specialized in the preservation of books and graphic documents belonging to public institutions and private foundations.

“I found out about this competition a little late, by word of mouth,” she tells us. After reading the file, she calls the organizers to ask them a few questions and gets started.

His work on the binding of the imposed manuscript

After the awards ceremony in April, Allison received the paper manuscript in May. The work promised to be considerable.

The specifications were substantial. The text was difficult to handle, some pages were filled on the front and back, they were not the same size, there were no margins and it was also necessary to add the drafts and preparatory notes at the end of the text. Everything had to be separated to bring everything together while maintaining a certain visibility with the binding, but the author wrote at the edge of the pages

She still manages to do it in the end four months of work. She explains to us that she made “a French binding” in order to “capture the essence of the manuscript by creating a caning of two different papers”. A tribute to the author’s grandmother and mother, both of whom were cane workers (straw-binding of seats).

The edge – reinforcement of the binding of a book – was hand-embroidered with silk threads. As for the colors, Allison chose to stay in beige, brown and white tones in reference to the natural elements cited by Charles Peguy in his work (dust, fields, wood).

“I have access to precious works from the French National Library, so I’m used to it. In addition, I had done a lot of tests, I knew what would be stuck, so when I was given the manuscript, I was ready. That said, our hearts always skip a beat when we receive it, that’s our job.”

To date, Allison has completed a dozen projects. The author’s bound manuscript, meanwhile, is accessible to the public until September 28 At Charles Peguy Center in Orléans before joining the heritage service collection.

See you for the next Bookbinding Prize in 2027-2028.

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