Nicky Oliver & Karen Vidler
Oliver Nicky
Professional Training, Career
Nicky has over 20 years’ experience working as a bookbinder and design binder. She completed studies in Art and Design which led her to studies at the London College of Printing in Bookbinding. She has worked at several trade binderies in London before freelancing and establishing Black Fox Bindery, London, in 2009. Nicky became a Fellow of the Designer Bookbinders, UK, in 2016 and regularly attends bookbinding-based workshops as she believes there is always something new to learn in this profession!
Current Position
Nicky is the owner and senior bookbinder at Black Fox Bindery in London. This is an independent bookbinding studio, where she undertakes commissions from case bindings and box making to gun cases and design bindings. She exhibits her design bindings worldwide and has several in public and private collections. Black Fox Bindery is also a venue for a variety of bookbinding, art and craft workshops. Guest tutors are often invited to share their skills and knowledge with regular Black Fox attendees.
Area of Speciality
Nicky has worked extensively using decorative leather dyeing techniques on leather objects. This includes books, furniture and acrobat’s flying boots. She has lectured and demonstrated in the UK, Australia, Europe and the United States on topics in this area of specialized skills and knowledge. She loves passing on these techniques to her students.
Further Information
Nicky has won awards for her design bindings including the Silver Medal for the Designer Bookbinders' International Competition and the Silver Triple Designer Bookbinders' Annual Competition. She is a member of the Society of Bookbinders, UK, and task force team member of their Education & Training Committee and editor of the societies E-Bulletin. More recently she co-authored with Karen Vidler a book titled Board Attachment, published by the Society in 2019.
Vidler Karen
Professional Training, Career
1986 – 1988 Study of Fine Arts (printmaking, photography, art history, RMIT, Melbourne
1991 – 1992 Study of Librarianship, University of Melbourne
1999 – 2001 Diploma in „Fine Bookbinding and Conservation“, Guildford College, England
2001 – 2002 Book Conservator, The National Archives, Kew, London
2002 – 2003 Post Graduate diploma „Conservation-Restoration Book and Library Materials“, West Dean College, England
2003 – 2005 Senior Book Conservator, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
2005 – 2006 Study of bookbinding leather deterioration, University College, London
2006 Study of leather technology, British School of Leather Technology, Northampton, England
Current Position
Since 2006 has managed own studio „Book Conservation Services“ in Adelaide, undertaking book and paper conservation and as a training consultant in preservation and conservation of books.
Area of Speciality
Conservation and preservation needs of leather and parchment bookbindings. Training and education in the conservation of leather bindings.
Further Information
2006 Conference presentation "Conservation of the Swarthmore MS" with E. Neville, Institute of Conservation (ICON), Edinburgh, Scotland.
2010 Conference presentation "Acid Decay in Leather: The Conservators Problem", Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists (SLTC), Sheffield, England
2010 Workshop "Conservation of Leather Bindings", State Archives of Croatia, Zagreb.
2011 Visiting Tutor on "Conservation-Restoration Book and Library Materials", West Dean College.
Continued research into examination, testing and treatment of deteriorated bookbinding leather.
