The American Bookbinders Museum

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The American Bookbinders Museum The American Bookbinders Museum explores and celebrates the craft, culture, and tools of bookbinding.

The only museum of its kind in North America and conveniently located in San Francisco’s famed SoMa neighborhood, The American Bookbinders Museum explores and celebrates the craft, culture, and tools of bookbinding from its earliest forms to the innovations of the Industrial Revolution. In the age of digitization, our relationship with the book has changed. Our relationship to the book is rapidly evolving, making it the ideal time to tell the history of this object and memorialize its significance in regards to where we are today! Docent-led tours include demonstrations of hand-bookbinding and mechanized bookbinding equipment, and covers aspects of binding, paper making, gilding and finishing of hand-bound books; women in the bindery; and the trade's place in the culture and history of America.

The edges of books have been decorated for hundreds of years, be it hand gilded, colored with arsenic for beautiful gree...
10/23/2026

The edges of books have been decorated for hundreds of years, be it hand gilded, colored with arsenic for beautiful green, and even spray-painted.

Traditionally, book edges were first sanded to create a flat surface before pigment was applied to glair using a burnishing tool. This look became popular again during the hay day of pulp fiction book production in the 1940s. With modern trimmers and the advent of perfect binding, it was much easier to press textblocks together and paint their edges in mass.

Today, the process can be done faster and on a much larger scale with more decorative book edges thanks to advancements in printing and mechanization.

How will you celebrate National Book Month? Become an ABM Guild Member! ABM Guild Members have access to the museum, wor...
10/22/2026

How will you celebrate National Book Month?

Become an ABM Guild Member!

ABM Guild Members have access to the museum, workshops, webinars, and great bookish gifts. Members at the Grand Master level receive free museum admission for one year, access to all online webinars, and 10% off in the museum gift shop.
Grand Master's also choose their special gift:
free admission and access to two of our monthly bookbinding workshops
OR
free admission and Book Enthusiast socks, Heartell hand-carved letterpress cards, a Good Grand Great Wonderful journal, and a La Antigua Bindery book keychain
Both options support the museum’s programs, operations and collection.
Become a member today!

Each of our display cases are a chapter in the story of the book. Chapter 1: Binding Materials, Chapter 2: Binding Style...
10/15/2026

Each of our display cases are a chapter in the story of the book. Chapter 1: Binding Materials, Chapter 2: Binding Styles, Chapter 3: Industrial Bindings. What will we put in Chapter 4…

…we could exhibit contemporary artists ..we could explore finishings ..we could feature historical influences..but we can't do it without you..
Help us write the next chapter and donate today!

Today is Indigenous Peoples Day. Today we honor the history of Indigenous people residing on turtle island, their histor...
10/12/2026

Today is Indigenous Peoples Day. Today we honor the history of Indigenous people residing on turtle island, their histories, cultures, and resilience. Celebrate the day with the ABM’s suggested books written by Indigenous authors.

Explore the possibilities of using metal as a binding material. Binder Richard Tarlov will explore a variety of metals h...
10/10/2026

Explore the possibilities of using metal as a binding material. Binder Richard Tarlov will explore a variety of metals he has incorporated into his work. He will share his process for shaping, marking, and transforming metal, as well as demonstrate binding techniques using metal piano hinges and rivets. Tarlov will also offer insight into the inspiration behind his work and his approach to creating books that challenge conventional ideas about what a book can be.

November 21st
11:00 am PST
All webinars are recorded. Recordings are sent to ticket holders following the event.

Apicius, or De re coquinaria (On the Subject of Cooking), is a collection of Roman recipes from around the fifth century...
10/09/2026

Apicius, or De re coquinaria (On the Subject of Cooking), is a collection of Roman recipes from around the fifth century AD. The book is attributed to Marcus Gavius Apicius, a Roman gourmet who lived in the 1st century. The book features recipes for dishes common today, like lamb stew and dolma. However, the book's content is geared toward the wealthy, so it also includes recipes for rare dishes like flamingo. Additionally, the book is broken into 10 sections, much like a modern cookbook with chapters dedicated to poultry, legumes, seafood, and more.

Explore the possibilities of using metal as a binding material. Binder Richard Tarlov will explore a variety of metals h...
10/08/2026

Explore the possibilities of using metal as a binding material. Binder Richard Tarlov will explore a variety of metals he has incorporated into his work. He will share his process for shaping, marking, and transforming metal, as well as demonstrate binding techniques using metal piano hinges and rivets. Tarlov will also offer insight into the inspiration behind his work and his approach to creating books that challenge conventional ideas about what a book can be.

November 21st
11:00 am PST

All webinars are recorded. Recordings are sent to ticket holders following the event.

This week is Banned Books Week! Check out our Banned Books Jail at our back gate to see which books are escaping. Now is...
10/08/2026

This week is Banned Books Week! Check out our Banned Books Jail at our back gate to see which books are escaping. Now is a god time to show your support for books, banned or otherwise. Our Apprentice membership level includes book enthusiast socks, free in-person museum admission or a free webinar, 10% off in our museum gift store, and 10% off group tours. Express your love of books with the “Bookworm” socks or share your passion for the impact of books with our “I Read Banned Books” socks.

Shop our newly stocked Heartell Press sawtooth bookmarks.Created by Heartell Press, these colorful risograph bookmarks a...
10/06/2026

Shop our newly stocked Heartell Press sawtooth bookmarks.

Created by Heartell Press, these colorful risograph bookmarks are hand-trimmed and finished with a silky tassel. In packages of three, every set is unique.

Find us in the Dealers room at the 52nd World Fantasy Convention, October 22–25 in Oakland!This year the American Bookbi...
10/03/2026

Find us in the Dealers room at the 52nd World Fantasy Convention, October 22–25 in Oakland!

This year the American Bookbinders Museum will host a table at the convention and offer two bookbinding workshops for attendees.

We hope to see you there!

Address

355 Clementina Street
San Francisco, CA
94103

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

(415) 824-9754

Website

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