Nestled among shops on the West side of Columbus, Ohio, is Beck and Orr: a book binding place that has been open since 1888. Owned and operated by Ron and Skip Bowman, Beck and Orr makes sure each book is touched by human hands using the same techniques that were used when they opened. Ron Bowman has been working in the same place since 1959 when he started as an employee on one machine. Throughout the following years in his free time Ron taught himself the whole book binding process and in 1962 became part owner. He soon grew to full owner and employed a set of unionized workers. Throughout the years the number of employees dwindled to 15, when tragedy struck. A lightning bolt hit the building where Beck and Orr operated and started a fire that caused the loss of many new and antique books. After this destruction, Beck and Orr found a new location where they now reside, and it became a two man business. Skip Bowman, son of Ron, became a full time employee and handles most of the business side of Beck and Orr, as well as helping his father with rebinding, foil stamping, and imprinting books. They have operated like this for about 25 years and still have a strong business running. Although physical books have become less used than they were in 1888, this father son duo knows that there will always be people that want old family bibles, or tax documents, among other things, refurbished and created anew.
A sign at the back entrance to Beck and Orr that often goes unnoticed welcomes customers in as it is stacked upon rolls of paper and a machine that goes unused. This sign may once have been on the front door, but now is right inside a garage door that opens up and is mostly only used by Ron and Skip Bowman.
Ron Bowman looks up from his work of making inlet pages for an old book he is refurbishing. Ron loves his work and often whistles along with the radio as he restores antique books and their covers.
Ron Bowman works at the table where he spends most of his time with decades old books that need a new finish. Ron lives a few blocks away from the shop in Columbus, Ohio, which allows him to get to and from his work easily.
Skip Bowman watches carefully to make sure the gold foil stamper just kisses the cover. If the stamp comes down too hard then it will indent the cover instead of stamping it.
After making the perfect cover for books, gold letters can be stamped onto it, as in this new member book for a fraternity. Each stamp is checked for spelling, the right amount of heat, and placement before it is carefully imprinted on the covers.
Skip Bowman, left, poses for a portrait with father Ron Bowman, right, at a work table in their shop Beck and Orr, located on the West side of Columbus, Ohio. Beck and Orr does all their book binding by hand, adding a personal touch to every book that goes through the store.
Skip Bowman presses words into the cover of a book for students at Ohio Christian University as he chats with them about the Circleville Pumpkin Festival. At Beck and Orr, cover imprinting is often done as a walk-in service as it takes no more than a few minutes.
An old job ticket from 1997 for the binding of 2 books is kept in a cut cardboard box surrounded by scraps of paper with notes on them. Many of these notes are written by Ron or Skip as a way to figure out prices or sizes of books, but are not of long term importance.
Skip Bowman looks at old photos and keepsakes of his family and the shop on a wall inside Beck and Orr in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Oct. 29, 2020. He claims people should “cherish moments with your parents” as he has done while working with his father.
Ron Bowman puts a new decorative edge on an old book before the cover is glued on. Although it is often seen on books and many assume it is from the sewing of the pages, this edging has no purpose other than the aesthetic it provides.
