[GBW] Harcourt Bindery

[Mel Kavin <mel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Harcourt Bindery is one of the oldest and largest hand binderies in the
country. They do very fine work and have an excellent reputation. It is too
bad that they have been berated over the internet when the whole story is
not known.

There is an old Indian proverb that says do not judge a man until you have
walked a mile in his moccasins. In over 50 years in the bookbinding
business, I have walked many miles in Sam Ellenport's moccasins. I have had
to deal with the same kind of unreasonable librarians, collectors and
individuals he has had to deal with. You know nothing about this transaction
except the final result. You don't know what the customer said or what he
was willing to pay for the work.

Over the years we have had to do many things we didn't want to do. I
remember one incident vividly. The library sent in a book printed in 1690 in
a limp vellum binding. I called the librarian and suggested that the book
should be restored or put in a clam shell box. She could tell that I was
reluctant to just rebind it and said, "I want it in an ordinary library
binding and if you won't do it, I will find some one else that will."

Every one who knows Sam, knows that he loves books and is an honorable man.
it's too bad that he has been subjected to this public display of
thoughtless criticism.

Mel Kavin
Kater-Crafts Bookbinders
Pico Rivera, CA

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