Years ago I learned to make artist sketchbooks from an art professor friend. He felt that if artists would make their own sketchbooks they would have a greater appreciation of their work in the selecting of fine papers, recoding their development as artists and of pride of craftsmanship from begging to end. Recently, I was considering various ways to display collections of my work that would have the look and feel of the final prints, rather than how they look through lighted monitors, and remembered the handmade books that I had made thirty years ago. I realized that with the proper selection of photography paper, I could turn my final prints into books that were not only a record of the photographic collections, but also charming works of art.

I settled on acid free cotton papers which made rich water color like prints, and were sturdy enough to be glued with archival adhesives or stitched with linen twine. Some of my books have wooden covers with exposed Coptic stitching, as in the "Trees" book. Some have leather or paper covers, like the "Back Bay:Boston" book. As a wood carver, working with wood covers gave me an opportunity to give each book a unique look, as no two pieces of wood look alike, much less carve the same. As you can see from the cover of "Trees" unique flaws in the wood also provide opportunities for great covers.

If you have any questions about the books, their stitching or makeup, please leave a comment below or email me at DavidScherbel@gmail.com Dave