“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” – Stephen King

Bookbinding and Book Restoration

I have pursued the art and craft of bookbinding for over 45 years, studying under master craftsmen and in major institutions. Continually refining and honing my craft, I am committed to the highest degree of excellence. My hope is that my website will be informing and illustrate the many aspects of the work that I do and the services that I provide. Thank you for visiting!

Make an Inquiry

Or call for an estimate

773.478.2825

About Us

Here, we unite heart, hand and mind to bring new life to old, tattered volumes.

We can often reuse the very techniques and materials originally employed to reconstruct the binding, aesthetically blending the original materials with the new. The photo illustrates how the ancient technique of hand-sewing is used to reconnect the pages of this small ‘Book of Hours’.

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Bookbinding Services

This process is ideal for high-value irreplaceable volumes. Attention to detail is demanded to return both structural integrity and an aesthetic original appearance.

Traditional Fine Binding

From medieval facsimiles to decorative half-leather bindings, we can reproduce a binding to reflect the period of publication. Modern books can also be made elegant by binding in a traditional way.

Book Rebinding

Besides being able to emboss title information in gold, silver and multiple colors, it is possible to reproduce your artwork into metal dies to emboss the cover of your book. Let your imagination be your guide!

Map & Print

Most old documents in need of conservation require several treatments. Washing, de-acidification, light bleaching, repair, in-fills, flattening, backing, and encapsulation. Each object, paper or vellum, is carefully examined and discussed before conservation.

Happy Customers

Straight from Yelp

"Excellent work! Scott restored an old Bible for me and it turned out beautiful! Would return to his services for any future book binding needs."

Letitia S.

Evanston, IL

"Getting a shipment back from Scott Kellar is like Christmas every time. The poor tattered books in our collections, stored under inappropriate environmental conditions for many years, or repaired ineptly in the past, come to life in his hands. We trust his work to suit the needs of our department. He knows that we need books that can be used by students, and that we want to be able to handle and discuss texts, not just preserve binding history. But in the times where we need that, we can get that as well. The outstanding work on some of our incunabula and early rare books matches the binding to the importance of the text. We have relied on Scott and his shop for over a decade of outstanding workmanship."

Kathryn DeGraff.

Department Head, Special Collections and Archives

DePaul University, Chicago, IL

"For much of my adult life I have been both an admirer and collector of leather-bound books. Several times a year I read myself by having favorite books I own bound in leather. The person I turn to for this task is Scott Kellar. I have known and dealt with him for over twenty years, found his work impeccable and his prices reasonable. There is certainly no better bookbinder currently working in the Chicago-land area than Scott Kellar."

Jim Mileski.

Wheaton, IL

"Scott Kellar is an excellent bookbinder. I moved here with my books about twenty years ago and continued to bring them back to New England to have them repaired and rebound until I got to know Scott. I like his conservatism and I think he generally operates under the premise 'first, do no harm.' In my case, I am not looking for books to look like they are shiny magazine pictures but rather they are as close to the authentic object as can be or strong enough to be used for research purposes. Almost all of them are 16th-18th illustrated architectural books. Therefore, because of their big format, there is a lot of damage to plates, hinges, and all the other things that go with big books. So, Scott is someone I really feel I can trust with my collection."

Vincent Buonanno.

Chicago, IL

"I believe Scott Kellar is today the finest and perhaps most experienced Chicago area craftsman regarding book and manuscript preservation/binding. His attention to detail and resultant customer satisfaction are exemplary and I doubt could be consistently achieved by others."

Dr. James Stone.

Chicago, IL

"Scott Kellar has done much work for me over the years - from book repair and refurbishment to complete new binding. The work has always been done with good taste, quality materials, and wonderful workmanship. I could not be happier"

Dave Sullivan (David M. Sullivan Books).

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