# Book Binding Works, USA May 2019



## mookster (Oct 26, 2019)

I realised recently that there were a few locations from my latest American adventure that I didn't get around to posting for one reason or another so what better way to revive them than with this complete gem. It was by far the biggest unexpected surprise of my trip, located only two blocks away from where I was staying with friends at the time.

The premises were originally occupied by a company who specialised in transmission systems and driveshafts for all manner of industries around the world including defence, aerospace, medical and more mundane things like agricultural machinery. At some point they moved to a shiny new premises across town and the property was then occupied by a book binding company. I can find absolutely sod all details about the company in question, I only managed to find the name of it from items left inside as they left the original signage from the previous occupants on the building. It appears they closed down suddenly around 2014, and I do mean suddenly - there are still books left in the process of being assembled on one of the oldest pieces of machinery in there, as if they switched the lights off, locked the doors and walked away.

It seems there was a sort of half-arsed effort to dismantle some of the binding machinery at some point but the vast majority of it is still sat exactly as it was. The attached admin/office space however has been completely stripped, even the doors and doorframes have been removed, and the compromised roof over part of that space has led to some of the floors rotting quite badly.





















































































































Thanks for looking :​


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## Sabtr (Oct 27, 2019)

Gosh!
First thing that hit me was the wooden flooring - stunning. The wood combined with oils and dirts gives it a wonderful patina.
Lots and lots of machinery. As you say - upped and went. 
The whole building looks interesting.


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## Dirus_Strictus (Oct 27, 2019)

My wife worked in the restoration side of the Book Binding industry for a number of years, and it is one industry where one can still use old machinery efficiently - if one is binding the right type of books. The premises probably, of a good old jobbing binder; more happy with small runs, than the output from large printer/publishers.


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## Sam Haltin (Oct 29, 2019)

That's an amazing place. The company Lawson must have made a fortune supplying the machinery to this factory. I too like the floorboards throughout, I'm surprised that they haven't been nicked.


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## Dirus_Strictus (Oct 29, 2019)

Hugh Jorgan;361197 The company Lawson must have made a fortune supplying the machinery to this factory.[/QUOTE said:


> Lawson was one of two major suppliers of binding machinery in the US during the inter war years. Keeping abreast of the ever increasing automation in the publishing industry and surviving the depression.


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