State

Representing the 6th generation, Joseph Ruzicko, Jr., heods the company's North Corolma plant of Greensboro. Book Binders lor Over 200 Years — and Ku/icka is the Southeast's largest, hut in some ways the craft is iinelianged. By COM RAD PAYSOUR The year was 1758. The United States of America had not even been established. In what is now Czechoslovakia, Vaclav Ruzicka began binding and printing books near the town of Prague. In doing this, Ruzicka established a business that would be operated by six generations of his family and would in 1966 contribute $650,000 in payrolls to the North Carolina economy. The sixth generation of the company is represented in Greensboro by Joseph Ruzicka Jr., vice president and man¬ ager of the North Carolina plant of Joseph Ruzicka Inc., Bookbinders. Young Ruzicka, whose premature gray hair gives him a distinguished look, sat in his office recently and talked about the bookbinding business. "A lot has changed since the busi¬ ness started in the old country." he said. But many things have not changed, he added. "Each and every book is different, and today, you still have to treat each and every one differently." Ruzicka explained. When Ruzicka's great-great-great grandfather started the bookbinding business in Czechoslovakia before the American Revolutionary War, a man had to be a jack of all trades to bind a book. Vaclav Ruzicka was a combination blacksmith, silversmith, cabinet-maker, designer and salesman. He used wood that was handhewn. clasps that were hand-wrought, leather that was home- tanned and tools that were hand forged. Today, most of Joseph Ruzicka Inc.’s customers pay their bills in cash or by checks. Not so in Vaclav Ruzicka’s day. A peasant would often trade po¬ tatoes or other foodstuffs for a fine book. More often than not, the peasant couldn’t even read. But that didn’t matter. The books gave the peas¬ ant stature in his village. Today, bookbinding is still a craft that takes years to learn. Machines have made some phases of the busi¬ ness easier. At Joseph Ruzicka. Inc.’s Greensboro plant, there is even a ma¬ chine that does one step in the binding process by computer if all of the books to be bound are alike. But a book still has to go through 41 steps before it comes out com¬ pletely rebound and most of the steps. just as in Vaclav Ruzicka’s day, are still done by hand. This is particularly true of rare and valuable old books which people bring to the company to be restored and re¬ bound. The company's customers fall into two categories: wholesale and retail. The wholesale work is done for li¬ braries, schools and governmental agencies on a contract basis. The re¬ tail work is done mostly for individuals. Prices start as low as $1.05 per book and run as high as $1,000, when the book is a valuable first edition that is to be completely restored. The Ruzicka bookbinding business was brought to this country in 1879 by Joseph Ruzicka Jr.'s great-great¬ grandfather. "He had some religious difficulties in the old country and came here seek¬ ing religious freedom — which he found.” Ruzicka said. The first Ruzicka to establish a bookbinding business in this country settled in Baltimore, starting with little more than the bookbinding skill that had been passed on to him by his great-grandfather. At first, things were difficult. But the business began pros¬ pering and by the time the next gen¬ eration look over the business, it was flourishing. It was Joseph Ruzicka Jr.'s grand¬ father. Joseph J. Ruzicka. who brought the Ruzicka business to Greensboro. He decided the company needed an¬ other plant in the Southeast to handle the overflow of business. “Grandfather, being somewhat of an artist, likes beautiful things.” Joseph Ruzicka Jr. said. "After looking all around the Southeast, he discovered Greensboro. He said. This is a beauti¬ ful little town.' And it was a little town then." Joseph J. Ruzicka is still living and ( Continued on page 29 ) THE STATE. DECEMBER 1. 1966 1