Materials and process for rebinding The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

This essay details the rebinding of a 1945 edition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s gothic novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The project brings together material research, book conservation practice, and fine leather bookbinding.

The material research component is about the history and production of book board, a common raw material in the binding of books. Through research and practical experiments, I was able to determine a process that allowed me to not only make my own book board, but also creatively customize it for use in my binding of Jekyll and Hyde.

The overarching goal of my thesis work was to approach the rebinding of a book from the perspective of an artist/craftsperson and a reader. I wanted to design and execute a binding that would creatively represent the story’s contents while safely maintaining the accessibility of the text for readers now and in the future.