Collection Care blog

Behind the scenes with our conservators and scientists

31 January 2019

Remembering Legendary Bookbinder Bernard Middleton 1924-2019

We note with great sadness the death of Bernard Middleton, a towering figure in UK bookbinding with close links to the Library. 

Bernard Middleton stands in front of a shelves of gold tooling tools, picking a tool from the selection.

Bernard spent much of his life working with British Library collection items at the Library’s bindery, then known as the British Museum Bindery, following his apprenticeship there.

To see some of his bindings and to hear him talk about his training please see a blog we posted in 2014 to celebrate his 90th birthday:

https://blogs.bl.uk/collectioncare/2014/10/bookbinder-bernard-middleton-celebrates-90th-birthday.html

Our thoughts and best wishes are with his family and friends.

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