The origins of Johanna Birkenruth’s training in the craft of bookbinding are speculative at best, however her unique designs laid precedent for style and design techniques used by both the Chiswick Art Guild and the Guild of Women Binders. Characteristic design elements of Birkenruth include stitching on sawn-in cords, embroidery, an ink stamp with her name indicating creatorship on the verso of the first flyleaf, the use of onlays, bejeweled bindings, and utilization of leatherwork by Mary G. Huston. While her Birkenruth did not feature her work at Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society gatherings, unlike some of her contemporaries, she laid claim to an expert presence in the field by presenting at Goupil’s in London in 1898, and by imparting her knowledge to aspiring binders as a lecturer in the craft (Tidcombe, 1996).