Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Peyton Beard's avatar

Thank you Hadden. I live with this struggle everyday of my professional life. I'm a bookbinder who primarily follows the English handcraft binding tradition. I mainly work on repair commissions and rebinding older works that people keep for sentimental reasons. I've never had the benefits of training under the direction of an older craftsperson, since none were left in the trade in my area when I decided to try my hand (I'm in my late 30's and do not know of anyone younger than me practicing the trade in my region of the U.S.). I've relied heavily on historical literature & manuals, how-to videos on the web, and blogs & articles by other bookbinders internationally. I feel completely inadequate to pass my meager experience on to anyone who might come asking for it, and I often encounter tools and equipment that have purposes and functions I cannot describe because techniques have been discarded or forgotten. Many "trade secrets" have been kept intentionally vague down through history to preserve their lucrative benefits for tradespeople who assumed their skills would always be in demand. So much knowledge has been lost in the handcraft trades.

The internet has, ironically helped me find pieces of this discarded knowledge, but it can't make up for the loss of muscle-memory and patient teaching that are vital for building confidence in new tradespeople. I think a vital aspect of preserving analogue knowledge is taking part in associations or communities that actively try to educate the next generation to learn and love such skills. I've been apart of clubs, groups for hobby enthusiasts, parishes, and historical societies where there was no transmission of ideas because the older and younger generations had no dialogue with one another. The nurturing relationships that may have been natural at one time don't seem natural or necessary to most people today. Culture will need to find a new way to self-replicate before cultural memories can be passed on. Thank you for your timely warning.

Expand full comment
Morf Morford's avatar

I am a literature major of that generation. Many literary quotes and references live in my memory that do not come up with an online search. Most people will never know the depth of their loss. Also, here's my piece today - https://morfmorford.substack.com/p/only-the-good-die-young

Expand full comment
12 more comments...

No posts