Bill Streeter and The Silver Maple Bindery

Born on his family's two-hundred year old farm in Cummington, Massachusetts, Bill Streeter has turned his lifelong interest in Early American industries and town history into a career as an accomplished hand bookbinder and co-author/researcher of three books.

After serving in the army following World War II, Bill returned to Cummington with a strong calling to preserve the history of his small Hampshire Hills town. In 1967, in conjunction with the Cummington Historical Commission, he was the driving force behind the establishment of the Kingman Tavern Historical Museum in Cummington. In 1984, he and his wife Elaine founded the National Streeter Family Association. His first book, the town history, Only One Cummington, was completed with co-author Helen H. Foster after twelve years of research. Designed by nationally-known graphic designer Rich Hendel, this book was chosen by the American Institute of Graphic Arts as one of the fifty best-designed books of 1974. In 1979, Bill went on to complete The Vital Records of Cummington, Mass.: 1762-1900 with co-author Daphne H. Morris. Vital Records was designed by Lance Hidy, another renowned graphic designer.

During his research for these books, Bill came across many deteriorating church, county, and town records. Out of desperation, he tried putting them back together with stove bolts, but knew that there must be a better way to return them to an intact state for the use of future generations. Bill began meeting with hand-bookbinders in the Northampton, Massachusetts area, became interested in the binding process himself, and, after apprenticing with binders Lisa Callaway, David Bourbeau and Daniel Kelm, he opened the Heraldry Bindery with his wife Elaine in 1982. In 1989, Bill and Elaine decided to rename their studio "The Silver Maple Bindery" in honor of the large maple tree that shaded their studio before it was cut down. In addition to his work as a binder, Bill also taught bookbinding for 18 years, drawing students from all over the country for a full-time three-month course.

Bill's work as a bookbinder led him to his third book, 1999's Before Photocopying: The Art and History of Mechanical Copying 1780-1938, which he co-authored with book and paper conservator Barbara Rhodes of the American Museum of Natural History. In 1987, Bill came across an unusual-looking nineteenth century book press topped with a set of wringers. His curiosity was piqued, and as he investigated the reason for this set-up, he found that the piece had not originally been made as a book press, but an early form of a copying machine. A trip to the Smithsonian confirmed his findings, and after another twelve years of research, Before Photocopying was published as the only existing thorough history of this early technology.

After years of varying occupations including assessor, psychiatric aide, proprietor of a general store, leatherworker and owner of a luggage shop, Bill said that bookbinding was his favorite career of all. He loved the comradeship with his clients, and compared the atmosphere of his bindery to that of his old general store. He liked to call his bindery the “people's bindery” because he enjoyed repairing books for individuals and families, as well as dealers and collectors. Bill restored many books of sentimental value, such as photo albums, children's books, and family Bibles -- so many family Bibles, in fact, that he was often referred to as “Bible Bill”.

In 2005, Bill and Elaine retired to South Deerfield, MA. Bill is currently doing research for two books, the second volume of Only One Cummington, and a history of V-Mail (Victory Mail), the military mail system through which correspondence was microfilmed, printed and sent to and from American servicemen during WWII.

Purchase Info

Only One Cummington $25.00			Vital Records of Cummington, MA 1762-1900 $28.00
These two books can be purchased from: Cummington Historical Commission Main Street Cummington, MA 01026

Before Photocopying: The Art & History of Mechanical Copying 1780-1938 $75.00
Oak Knoll Books 310 Delaware St. New Castle, DE 19720 phone - 302.328.7232 www.oakknoll.com email - oakknoll@oakknoll.com

Related Information & Links
Streeter Family Association
contact: Mary S. Meyers
11139 Adriatic Place
San Diego, CA 92126
phone & fax: 858.693.0265
email - mary.meyers@qm.com

Kingman Tavern Historical Museum
http://virtual-valley.com/kingman/