I started enjoying books in primary school. I didn't do too well at school. I was sick for a while, we now suspect the abdominal issues back then came up again in 2010 and resulted in the sale of the business. But I was always behind after that. All them stupid coloured maths sticks I missed out on. But I became a library monitor as I had read almost everything in the library at school ( ok I did not read all the girls books and all the chemistry books). But I left school to get a job after year 10. A scholar I was not, a dreamer I was, so the teachers said. ( it was all those adventure books, you know the Gang of Five Save the World, and all that stuff)
But I read a lot and became a trainee technician with the PMG, and loved visiting the State Library after work. Fish and chips in Swanston st, then into the Library before night school for year 11 subjects.
I started the business when I got to long service leave at the ripe old age of 25, and thought I should try my hand elsewhere. A bit more too it than that but that is in the philosophy blog. I started the business, with the aim of making a million by the age of 30. That didn't happen!!!
Along the way, I read everything about poultry. Every journal, book published new and old, club newsletter, sales bulletin and science paper. Anything to do with chooks. And much of it I have kept, filed and documented. Much of the older material was difficult to find and expensive to buy. I borrowed where I could, sat and read on the spot where I couldn't borrow, But I collected all I could, though when word got around a fair few collections can into my hands because I always paid a fair price for them, especially when it was a deceased estate. So the collection became larger, but lots of older books are in terrible condition so I decided I should learn how to "fix" them. After a very short time I found that to "fix" them with sticky tape was not quite right, and the ones which has been "fixed" that way didn't stay "fixed". So I took some advice, read a few books and started on some simple stuff. I joined the Bookbinders Guild so I could find out some more, got some stips torn off me for my poor skills, but took lots of good advice and enjoyed the work.
One day I was in a book shop and saw an bookbinders laying press ( that is one on its side, not just the one on top of the bench), and I asked if it was for sale . " Yes its all for sale" . What do you mean by all? and a massive pile of equipment tools and materials was rolled out along with a library of bookbinding how to do it books. I took deep breath as we started to bargain. I sang that song a few times, the one all good businessmen have to learn. " You got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them etc" and after some intense negotiations agreed on a price and that I would return when the Toyota Hiace Commuter Bus I used to take the business to the shows was emptied. It had been a joy to use this collection, and it allowed me to do work that a benchtop, some glue and a knife cannot do. So in this blog I want to show some of the work I have done some of the famous poultry books I have worked on, and the ones I am not game to work on. So if you love books and book collecting, the I hope I can inspire you to follow here as well as in the chooks. And ten years after I bought the Bettine Gresford collection of bookbinding equipment and materials, they made me the President of the Guild, and I am pleased to wear a hat promoting the industry there as well as in the poultry industry, in fact often both together.
Jim Finger 2020
Victorian Bookbinders Guild Website just in case you want to explore bookbinding,