Marlowe & Petrie

Bookbinding and paper repair · Castlemaine, Victoria


We are two binders working from a single bench on Barker Street. Between us we have rebound parish registers, a good many cookbooks held together with tape, and one ledger that had spent a decade in a shed.

Most of what comes through the door is not valuable to anyone but the person carrying it. That is the work we like best, and it is most of what we do.

What we take on

Recasing a hardback — original boards retained where soundfrom $140
Full rebind in cloth, sewn on tapesfrom $290
Quarter leather, marbled sidesfrom $460
Drop-spine box, made to the bookfrom $180
Paper repair — tear mending, flattening, dry surface cleanby quote
Assessment, in person, no obligationno charge

Prices are a starting point, not a quote. A book has to be seen before anyone can honestly price it, and we would rather tell you it is not worth doing than take the job.

What we do not do

We do not restore anything of museum or archival significance — that belongs with a conservator, and we will give you two names. We do not laminate. We do not work on photographs. We do not buy or sell books.

The bench

Everything is sewn by hand. We have a nipping press from a school in Bendigo, a board chopper of uncertain age, and no automation whatsoever, which is why turnaround is measured in weeks rather than days.

Current queue is around five weeks. It is longer before Christmas and we will say so rather than promise otherwise.

Visiting

By appointment, Tuesday to Friday. Write first and tell us roughly what you have — a photograph of the spine and the damage saves everyone a trip.

We are closed for two weeks in January and the queue does not move in that time.