Samuel Feinstein
Samuel Feinstein began bookbinding after a traumatic brain injury left him with constant pain and unable to continue his other pursuits. While the pain remains, he found that binding books by hand was a possibility for him. He trained at the North Bennet Street School in the two-year full-time bookbinding program under Jeff Altepeter, full-time instructor, and Martha Kearsley, part-time instructor. He strives to make his dedication and passion evident in his work, with a particular focus on craftsmanship.
He currently lives and works in Chicago, IL.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
Diploma (Bookbinding), North Bennet Street School, 2012
Professional Experience
Samuel Feinstein Bookbinding, LLC
Proprietor, 2012-ongoing
Fine/Design Bindings, deluxe protective enclosures, period binding, gold finishing for other binders, instructor
Independent Workshops Instructor
Bi-weekly Independent Study over Zoom, 3-student class
May 2021 – ongoing
Titling By Hand, 5-day workshop
North Bennet Street School Community Education, 2023, 2019, 2017
San Francisco Center for the Book, 2019
Gold Tooling on Leather Frame, 5-day workshop
Society of Gilders, 2022
Fundamentals of Finishing on Leather, 5-day workshop
North Bennet Street School Community Education, 2022, 2019, 2017, Summer 2016, Winter 2016, 2015
Karen Hanmer Book Arts, 2019
Introduction to Gold Finishing, Zoom workshop
San Francisco Center for the Book, Fall 2021, Spring 2021
Introduction to Gold Finishing, 2-day workshop
Society of Gilders Conference 2019, 2017, 2015
Editions Studio Seattle, 2019
Guild of BookWorkers Lone Star Chapter, 2017
University of Utah SLC 2017
University of Iowa, 2015
Paper and Book Intensive, 2014
Book Edge Gilding, 2-day workshop
Society of Gilders Conference, 2019, 2017, 2013
Tooled-Edge Onlays, 5-day workshop
North Bennet Street School, 2019
Gold Tooling with Egg Glaire, 5-day workshop
Mills Summer Institute, 2018
Finishing for Book Artists, 5-day workshop
Wells College Summer Institute, 2017
Visiting Artist, Wellesley College, 2013
Cleaned, catalogued, and re-handled finishing tools, community demonstration
Book Edge Gilding, 1-day workshop
Guest Instructor, North Bennet Street School for Simmons College “Book Structures for Conservators” 5-week class taught by Chela Metzger
North Bennet Street School Full-Time Program, 2013
Gold Tooling with Egg Glaire, 1-day workshop
Western New York Book Arts Center, 2013
Guest Instructor, North Bennet Street School for Simmons College “Book Structures for Conservators” 5-week class taught by Chela Metzger, 2013
Exhibitions
Hand Bookbinders of California Members Show, exhibited at the Arion Press in San Francisco, 2023
North Bennet Street School Student and Alumni Competition (non-competitive entry), 2023
“A Gathering of Leaves” Designer Bookbinders International Competition, 2021
Dark Archives by Megan Rosenbloom, Mütter Museum and virtual, 2021
Drop Dead Gorgeous: Fine Bindings of La Prose du Transsibérien, a re-creation by Kitty Maryatt, 2020
American Academy of Bookbinding “Open - Set” International Competition, 2020
American Academy of Bookbinding "Open - Set" International Competition, 2017
“Shakespeare 400” A commissioned design binding for the Newberry Library for their exhibition celebrating 400 years since Shakespeare died, 2016
DeGolyer Triennial Exhibition and Competition for American Bookbinding, 2015
Guild of BookWorkers “Horizon” competition, 2012
DeGolyer Triennial Exhibition and Competition for American Bookbinding, 2012
“Time Traveler’s Exhibit,” Asheville Bookworks in Greensboro, NC, 2012
“One Book Many Interpretations,” Chicago Public Library, 2012
Exhibition Juror
American Academy of Bookbinding Open – Set International Competition, 2025
Lectures and Presentations
“Gold Finishing,” a presentation and demonstration on tooling with shellac glaire and gold leaf, Society of Gilders, 2023
“Gold Finishing,” a talk and demonstration on hand finishing with gold leaf; American Bookbinders Museum, 2021
“Going for the Gold,” a panel on gold finishing in conjunction with an exhibition at the American Bookbinders Museum, 2021
“Shelter in Studio,” a talk on jigs and tools to aid in finishing; San Francisco Center for the Book, 2021
“The Great Omar,” a presentation on Sangorski and Sutcliffe and the loss of their most elaborate binding; Society of Gilders, 2019
“Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” a talk on the realities of being a living artist in the current political and economic climate; The Caxton Club, Chicago, 2018
“The Caxton Club,” a panel discussion about fine bookbinding where the three presenters completed bindings, with Karen Hanmer and Scott Kellar; The Caxton Club, 2018
Presentations on recent works:
Mills College, 2018
Wells College, 2017
Society of Gilders 2017
University of Iowa, 2015
Gold Finishing Demonstrations
Chicago Book and Paper Fair, 2016, 2015
Awards
Highly Commendable: Tooling; American Academy of Bookbinding "Open - Set" Int’l Competition, 2017
Award for Design; DeGolyer Triennial Exhibition and Competition for American Bookbinding, 2015
Publications
Article on “Finishing in Hand Bookbinding” and the Faheys for the reprinting of the text for The Bonefolder Journal’s Bonefolder Extras
Professional Affiliations
2023-onward, Hand Bookbinders of California
2022-onward, Designer Bookbinders (Associate)
2013-onward, Society of Gilders
2011-onward, Guild of BookWorkers
His work can be found in Institutions and private collections, in and out of the USA, including at The Newberry Library Chicago, The University of Iowa Law Library, The Huntington Library, Houghton Special Collections at Harvard, the Boston Athenaeum.