INTRODUCTION - Will Rueter Two decades ago, in the heady days when hand binding was beginning to be noticed as a serious profession, I heard of a young Toronto binder who was developing a reputation for the high quality of his work and his dedication to his craft. At a party I was introduced to a mild-mannered, slightly bemused young man sitting quietly in a corner. "So you're Don Taylor?" I think I blurted out, little realizing the enormity of my banal words, and forcing him to acknowledge himself as a man with a mission. Don has become a force majeure in Canadian bookbinding. His bookbinding practice has evolved into a source of highly professional work. Through the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild, the Japanese Paper Place, and private workshops, he has taught his craft patiently, enthusiastically, and lovingly to hundreds of students, and I'm very proud to be one of them. He cares passionately and intensely about the details of books and book structures, as this exhibition will attest. For Don, the only way to work is with complete dedication. Don has been an incredible inspiration to me and to my private press. By insisting that every craftsperson has the responsibility to use only the best materials in the finest way, he has made me see my weird passion for type, paper, and binding material as a viable and essential part of my creative life. Shortly after meeting Don, at a Wayzgoose gathering in Grimsby I encountered another strong influence on my direction as a private printer. Nancy Jacobi's almost indecent obsession (well beyond the bounds of passion) for beautiful Japanese papers transformed my perceptions about the capabilities of paper. Nancy introduced me to the tactility and subtlety of so many amazing papers, and because of her I have been able to create books and broadsides using some of her most magnificent sheets. I'm not a party animal, but every contact with Don and Nancy is a party - the conversation and ideas go in the most unexpected directions, and their enthusiasm, love of quality, and zest for life is highly contagious. Some years ago, with the renowned binder Reg Beatty, Don initiated the now-legendary Paper Decorating Orgy: an occasional free-form extravaganza in which all rules of design, colour combination, and good taste are broken as the three of us fling, roll, and slap gobs of colour onto paper, giving us some unique decorated sheets for our use. Some of the more memorable results are on view here. I've known Don for half the lifetime of The Aliquando Press and it's a very great pleasure to exhibit with him in this room. His contributions - and those of many other friends - to my press are immeasurable, and I wish everyone who makes books all the happiness that commitment to a craft can bring. William Rueter was born in Kitchener, Ontario in 1940. He studied at the City Literary Institute, London, England, and the Ontario College of Art. From 1965 to 1998 he worked as a graphic designer, including employment as a senior designer at the University of Toronto Press. He established The Aliquando Press in 1963, producing 93 books and 60 broadsides to date, reflecting his interests in graphic design, typography, calligraphy, music, and a wide variety of poetry and literature. He has studied bookbinding with Don Taylor, Reg Beatty, and Betsy Palmer Eldridge, among others. He has collaborated with artists such as Rosemary Kilbourn, Wesley Bates, and Don Taylor, as well as producing his own linocuts and wood engravings for some Aliquando Press books, and has written and translated some texts for the Press. Work of The Aliquando Press has won awards at the Internationale Buchkunstausstellung, Leipzig, and was twice nominated for the Sidye Bronfman Award. The Press has exhibited throughout North America and in Japan and is included in public and private North Anerican and European collections, including theToronto, New York, and San Francisco public libraries; The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg; the British Library; and the Museum van het Boek, The Hague.