Working out of her Madrona studio, Anne Hillam repairs damaged books, some of which are as old as the 16th century. She restores them archivally, so they don’t lose their value. True restoration is difficult and requires much training and experience. The work is very specialized and demand is low, so there are few workers in her field.

In this photo, Hillam sits at her worktable, surrounded by her many tools. In front of her is a book held solid between the wooden boards of a finishing press. The next steps will be to complete the binding and covers. Two cast iron book presses rest in the background.

Caption information source: “This doctor’s a healer of books”, by Carol Smith, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 5, 1997, pages B1 and B5.