Bonus Material: The Guild of Woman Bookbinders

As I brainstormed To Love a Beast, I thought it would be fun to create a heroine who not only loved to read, but one who was also in the book business. That’s when I discovered the Guild of Woman Bookbinders.

During the later years of the 19th century, custom bookbinding became popular among the wealthy in Europe and America. The arts and crafts movement flourished during this time in response to growing industrialization and mass-production of products. A demand for skilled artisans rose, and many women stepped into the gap with their keen eye for design. In fact, by the early 1900’s, women bookbinders outnumbered their male counterparts. The Guild of Woman Bookbinders was established in 1898. Before the guild, women in the industry would work alongside husbands or fathers, but by the late 1800’s they came into their own as independent binders who signed their own work.

It was an honor to have Callista Rosenfeld follow in these ladies’ footsteps!