Max J. Adjarian collection

Andrew Lippert, Special Collections Processing Archivist

Special Collections & University Archives

The UCR Library

P.O. Box 5900

University of California

Riverside, California 92517-5900

Phone: 951-827-3233

Fax: 951-827-4673

Email: specialcollections@ucr.edu

URL: http://library.ucr.edu/libraries/special-collections-university-archives

Descriptive Summary

Title: Max J. Adjarian collection

Date (inclusive): circa 1500-1999

Collection Number: MS 324

Creator: Adjarian, Max J.

Extent: 63.27 linear feet (49 boxes and 20 items)

Repository: Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.

Riverside, CA 92517-5900

Abstract: This collection contains book binding tools and supplies, press equipment, and some business documents collected and used by Max J. Adjarian, a Master Bookbinder and restorer.

Languages: The collection includes a number of languages including English, French, and Latin.

Access

This collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction, and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], [date if possible]. Max J. Adjarian collection (MS 324). Special Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Frederick and Catherine Adjarian, 2008.

Biographical Note

Max J. Adjarian was a Master Bookbinder specializing in conservation, preservation, and restoration of rare books, manuscripts, codices, incunabula, and gilding during a well-travelled career spanning more than 50 years. He was born in 1929 in Paris, France, where he spent his early years and survived the Great Depression and Nazi occupation during WWII. After the war, he served as a paratrooper in French colonial North Africa in 1948. Max applied to and was selected for a highly competitive position at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF), in 1949 after his military service was completed, where he was trained as a Master Bookbinder. He spent several years working at the BNF as a restorer of rare books before venturing off to spend the rest of his life working as an independent bookbinder, contracting and consulting with a wide range of institutions and private individuals. Max was invited to work with the Board of Trustees at Cornell University Library to restore the rare books in their collections as well as advise on acquisitions, conservation, and preservation. He spent four years at Cornell before being invited to Kansas University in 1955 by their chancellor, Dr. Franklin Murphy, to restore and conserve their rare books, codices, maps, and manuscripts. In 1960, Dr. Murphy was appointed the chancellor of UCLA and quickly invited Max to accompany him to California. In addition to working extensively with UCLA, Max would work with a number of other academic institutions, locally, across the country, and internationally. His clients included the University of Southern California, The Huntington Library, Boston Historical Society, Emory University, and many more. Mr. Adjarian's artistic legacy spanned the restoration of various bibliophilic treasures: the Gutenberg Bible; Audubon's Book of American Birds; the 1495/1619 editions of Aristotle's Opera Omnia [by Venetian typographer Aldus Manutius]; Aldine rare books printed between 1495-1550 [from UCLA's Ahmanson-Murphy Aldine Collection]; creating slipcases to preserve first edition Victorian fiction from the UCLA Michael T. Sadleir Collection; plus notable restoration projects for the William Andrews Clarke Memorial Library; the UCLA Dr. Louise M. Darling Biomedical, and Dr. Elmer Belt Vinciana Collections. Adjarian was also sought out for his expertise to work on privately held items and collections. Max relocated to Tucson, AZ in the mid-1990s where he continued operating his bindery and completing client projects until his death in 2002.

This biographical note was written in collaboration with Fred Adjarian in 2023.

Collection Scope and Contents

Max J. Adjarian was a Master Bookbinder and restorer, trained in Paris, who worked primarily in the United States during his 50+ year career. This collection is comprised of some of the tools, supplies and materials that he used in his craft. The contents of the collection include hand-tools, such as: compositors, burnishing wheels, gilding tools, cutting tools, layout and design tools, and more. There are also typesets, book boards, leather, vellum, marbled endpaper, paper scraps from prior disbinding/rebinding projects, bookplates, gold leaf, and other supplies and materials used in book binding. Several pieces of bindery equipment and presses were also donated as part of the collection (these larger pieces are not readily accessible for viewing).

Arrangement

The Max J. Adjarian collection is arranged into 4 series, as outlined below. The bulk of the items in Series 1 and 2 are housed in small boxes that are then collected in larger, numbered boxes.

Series 1. Tools
Series 2. Supplies & Materials
Series 3. Bindery Equipment
Series 4. Bindery Documents

Tool identifications

A number of tool and equipment identifications, along with their uses, were done in consultation with Fred Adjarian, son of Max J. Adjarian and one of the donors of the collection.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

Bookbinding

Genres and Forms of Materials

Clippings (information artifacts)

Tools

Tools undated

Series Scope and Contents

This series contains tools and other small equipment used by Max J. Adjarian for book conservation, restoration, and binding. Some of the tools were hand-made by Mr. Adjarian, while others were purchased new or acquired from mentors or other binderies that went out of business.

Box 6

Hand-made cutters and scrapers undated

Scope and Contents

44 cutters, scrapers, blades, and knives, most of which are hand-made from pieces of steel.

Box 11

Punches or Awls undated

Scope and Contents

Two narrow, wooden-handled punches or awls.

Box 25

Compositors undated

Scope and Contents

There are 15 compositors, which are individually numbered 1-15. Compositor #15 holds type set to read "Max J. Adjarian Collection" and was presented to the UCR Library by Fred Adjarian when the collection was donated.

Compositors are used to arrange type for printing and gilding.

Box 25, Box 26

Gilding tools and irons undated

Scope and Contents

There are 9 gilding tools, which are individually numbered 16-23 and 25. Gilding irons 20, 21, and 22 have pre-set type that read "USC Hancook Library", "Clark Library", and "Max J. Adjarian Marina del Rey Co.", respectively. Gilding iron #23 has a fleuron pattern.

Tool #16 in Box 25; tools #17-23 and 25 in Box 26

Box 39

Burnishing irons undated

Scope and Contents

There are 6 burnishing irons. Four have agate heads. There are also three wooden burnishing iron handles without heads. Burnishing irons are used to seal, finish, and buff leather.

Box 26

Calipers undated

Scope and Contents

Tool #26

Box 26

Spine scraper undated

Scope and Contents

Tool #27. Used for scraping a spine during restoration work in preparation for re-backing.

Box 26

Jasper brush undated

Scope and Contents

Tool #28

Box 26

Ink screens undated

Scope and Contents

Tools # 29 and 30

Box 27

Spoke shaves undated

Scope and Contents

Tools #31 and #32

Box 27

Leather mallet undated

Scope and Contents

Tool #33

Box 27, Box 35, Box 36

Rolling wheels undated

Scope and Contents

Rolling wheels used for creating gold edging on leather book covers.

Tool #34 in Box 27; tool #38 in Box 35; and tool #39 in Box 36

Box 26

Yoke for wheeled tool undated

Scope and Contents

Tool #35, this is a yoke for a rolling wheel, burnishing weel, or other type of guilding tool

Box 27

Awl undated

Scope and Contents

Tool #36

Box 27

Cookie cutter undated

Scope and Contents

Tool #37

Box 27, Box 33, Box 34

Burnishing wheels undated

Scope and Contents

Burnishing wheels used to seal, finish, and buff leather. Tool #40 in Box 33; tool #41 in Box 34; and tool #42 in Box 27.

Box 27

Chisels undated

Scope and Contents

Tools #43-45

Box 27

Scraping tool (?) undated

Scope and Contents

Tool #46, presumed to be some type of scraping tool

Box 27

Files undated

Scope and Contents

Tools #47 and #48

Box 14

Sharpening or grinding stone undated

Scope and Contents

Tool #49

Box 27

Wooden printing blocks undated

Scope and Contents

Tools #50-52, wooden blocks used for full page printing

Box 28

Compasses undated

Scope and Contents

Tools #53-60, drafting compasses of various sizes

Box 28

Unidentified tool undated

Scope and Contents

Tool #61, this is an unidentified tool with flanges

Box 8

Oil dispenser can undated

Box 9

Assorted tools undated

Physical Description: 9 Items

Scope and Contents

Box includes wooden spoon, calipers, small hammer, 2 awls, pliers, small file, block of graphite (?), and an unidentified tool.

Box 10

Metal scraps and spacers undated

Scope and Contents

Box of loose scraps of metal and spacers that were used in setting type. Items are made of brass, zinc, and possibly aluminum.

Box 11

Small hand plane undated

Scope and Contents

Small bull-nose hand plane from Millers Falls Tools

Box 11

Grinding stone wheel undated

Box 11

Wax Block undated

Scope and Contents

Wax used for lubricating string for book sewing

Box 19

Oil Stone (?) [Pierre a Huile] undated

Scope and Contents

This item is a large, dense, flat stone that appears to have been used for fine tool sharpening.

Box 20

Hammers undated

Scope and Contents

Box contains two hammers, one has a broken handle.

Box 28

Wooden tool handles undated

Scope and Contents

Four spare wooden tool handles

Box 29

Wood press blocks undated

Scope and Contents

This box contains 11 wooden boards that are used with book presses.

Box 31

Tool box undated

Scope and Contents

Orange, plastic fishing tackle box that was used as a toolbox. Contains a variety of small tools and supplies.

Box 32

Tool box undated

Scope and Contents

Small metal green, open topped tool box. Contains a variety of tools and supplies.

Box 43

Type setting board with sets of type undated

Item 1

Type setting board undated

Item 2

Unidentified wooden tool undated

Scope and Contents

An unidentified wooden tool with handles on both sides of a rectangular block that has a channel and hole (orthogonal to each other).

Item 3

Fût à rogner undated

Scope and Contents

A wooden fût à rogner, used to trim text blocks.

Item 4

Wooden book cradle undated

Supplies and Materials 1500-1999

Series Scope and Contents

The items in this series are consumable materials and supplies used in the course of book conservation, restoration, and binding. This includes book covers, leather, endpaper, sewing thread, and more.

Box 7

Assorted spine covers

Scope and Contents

Five loose/detached spine covers. Box also includes rigid leather strip mounted on cardboard and a strip of carboard with sand paper.

Box 11

Wax block

Scope and Contents

Wax used for lubricating sewing string.

Box 11, Box 47

Gold Leaf Scraps

Box 1, Folders 3 - 5

Paper Scraps and Bookplates 16th through 19th centuries, undated

Scope and Contents

The pieces of scrap paper in these folders are primarily paste down pages from books that were disassembled or rebound. Also included are many bookplates. Many of the materials are undated, but dates found span the 16th through 19th centuries.

Box 1, Folder 6

Vellum book cover undated

Box 1, Folder 7

Vellum book cover 1517

Box 1, Folder 8

Vellum book cover 1771

Box 2, Folders 1 - 37

Handwriting samples

Scope and Contents

These 37 folders contain different sets of scraps of paper with hand-written text. There is no #2 folder and the last folder is a miscellaneous assortment of scraps.

Box 2, Folder 38

Book binding paper scrap undated

Box 2, Folder 39

Paper scraps with writing and drawings undated

Box 2, Folder 40

Paper scraps with print undated

Box 2, Folder 41

Paper scrap with drawings and hand-written text undated

Box 2, Folder 42 & 43

Paper scraps with print undated

Box 2, Folder 44

Paper and vellum scraps undated

Box 2, Folder 45

Leather spine cover 1930

Box 3, Box 4, Box 12, Box 15, Box 16, Box 40, Box 41, Box 42, Box 44, Box 45, Box 46

Book Boards undated

Scope and Contents

These boxes include a variety of book boards that span a wide range of sizes. Some of them are front and back, both attached by a spine and separated, and some single covers.

Box 5

Book sewing string and yarn undated

Box 8

Red Clay or Chalk undated

Scope and Contents

Red clay or chalk stored in a glass jar, used for dying leather or other materials.

Box 13

Gilding cushion undated

Box 17, Box 18

Typesets undated

Scope and Contents

Box 17 contains three small sets of type and Box 18 contains 4 wooden cases containing typesets.

Box 21

Vellum book covers undated

Box 22

Book binding fittings and metal hardware undated

Scope and Contents

This box contains numerous small metal clasps, buckles, straps, and other fasteners used in early modern European book binding.

Box 23, Box 24, Box 38

Leather pieces and scraps undated

Scope and Contents

These three boxes contain approximately 100 assorted leather pieces and scraps, primarily red-brown and black.

Box 28

Unfinished binding 1831

Scope and Contents

This item is a book that has an unfinished binding. The textblock is sewn, it has an exposed spine, and there are temporary cardboard covers on front and back. The book is from Dove's Press. Volume includes a book dealer description.

Box 30

Small parts organizer undated

Scope and Contents

This is a small parts organizer (as one would use to hold screws, nails, bolts, buttons, etc) with 25 small drawers. Materials contained include: miscellanous small items, dice, cotton swabs, typesets, brass and copper spacers, picture frame hooks, and more.

Box 37

Book endpaper undated

Scope and Contents

Various color marbled endpaper for pasting down to the inside of cover boards.

Animal skin undated

Physical Description: 2 Items

Scope and Contents

A mostly intact (cut off at the neck), cured animal skin approximately the size of a goat or sheep. It is off-white with reddish brown mottling. Also a large scrap of thick leather (rolled).

Box 48

Rolls of decorative paste down or end paper undated

Scope and Contents

Similar to marbled paper, but with stripe patterns.

Box 49

Rolls of leather, parchment, and book cover cloth undated

Scope and Contents

16 rolls

Bindery Equipment undated

Restricted Items

These items are not readily moveable and are stored in a variety of locations that prohibit access, as such, they have been restricted.

Series Scope and Contents

The items in this series are presses and other large book binding equipment that were part of Max J. Adjarian's bindery and included as part of the donation.

Item 5

Percussion cast-iron press ( presse à satiner) undated

Access

This item is not available for viewing.

Item 6

Wooden book sewing machine ( cousoirs en bois) undated

Access

This item is not available for viewing.

Scope and Contents

This is used for sewing the bindings on book spines.

Item 7

Backing press ( presse a rogner) undated

Access

This item is not available for viewing.

Scope and Contents

Used for shaping book spines.

Item 8

Jacques board shear ( cisaille à carton) undated

Access

This item is not available for viewing.

Item 9

Small wooden jobbacker undated

Physical Location: This item is actively used in the book preservation lab.

Access

This item is not available for viewing.

Item 10

Small wooden jobbacker undated

Physical Location: This item is actively used in the book preservation lab.

Access

This item is not available for viewing.

Item 11

Large wooden jobbacker undated

Physical Location: This item is actively used in the book preservation lab.

Access

This item is not available for viewing.

Item 12

Large book press undated

Physical Location: This item is actively used in the book preservation lab.

Scope and Contents

Similar to a presse à satiner

Access

This item is not available for viewing.

Item 13

Jobbacker on stand undated

Access

This item is actively used in the book preservation lab.

Acess

This item is not available for viewing.

Scope and Contents

Similar to a presse a rogner, used for shaping book spines.

Item 14

Paper cutter undated

Physical Location: This item is located in the Orbach Library.

Access

This item is not available for viewing.

Item 15

Guillotine undated

Access

This item is not available for viewing.

Item 16

Fortuna leather skiving machine undated

Access

This item is not available for viewing.

Scope and Contents

Machine used for thinning leather so that it more easily wraps around book cover boards.

Item 17, Item 18

Finishing presses undated

Access

These items are unaccessible for viewing.

Other Bindery Materials 1957-1987, undated

Series Scope and Contents

Included in the collection are a small number of documents related to Mr. Adjarian's bindery business. These include tool catalogs, receipts, and branding materials.

Box 1, Folder 1

Bindery Documents and Catalogs 1957, 1963, 1987, undated

Box 1, Folder 2

Christie's East Bookbinding Tools and Equipment Auction Catalog 1980

Box 2, Folder 46, Flat-File-Folder 01

Adjarian shop sign proofs undated

Oversized