Rag & Bone Bindery - Established 1990
The Rag & Bone story begins with a gift.
In 1990, Ilira made a handbound blank book for Jason's 23rd birthday. Inspired by the gift and fascinated by how it was made, Jason began teaching himself the art of bookbinding. Within a few months, carrying a box of his own handmade books, he made his first sale to a small stationery store in Providence, Rhode Island.
Over the next few years, Jason continued developing new designs and refining his craft, adding photo albums, guestbooks, and other books and keepsakes to the collection. As demand grew, additional bookbinders joined him in the studio, and Rag & Bone Bindery began finding its way into shops throughout New England and beyond.
Before long, Rag & Bone became a true family business. Ilira, a hat designer with her own company at the time, sold her business and joined Jason at the bindery. Working side by side, their different talents and shared love of thoughtful design helped shape Rag & Bone into what it is today.
More than 35 years later, that original spirit remains at the heart of the bindery. Rag & Bone has grown and evolved, but the work is still rooted in the things Jason and Ilira valued from the beginning: beautiful materials, enduring design, skilled handwork, and objects made to hold the memories and stories that matter.
Since 2006, Rag & Bone Bindery has made its home in a historic mill building in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, just north of Providence. It is here that our small team of bookbinders continues to make our albums, binders, guestbooks, and keepsakes by hand, one at a time and with care.
