Our History

Portfoliobox© was founded in 1984 by Stuart Einhorn and John Romano. With over 30 years of expertise, Portfoliobox© offers our customers the pinnacle of quality in presentation packaging. The impeccable craftsmanship of each Portfoliobox© is in fact grounded in a shared love for handmade bookbinding.

Stuart and John first met in the late 70s when John went to work for Stuart at his book bindery, Hawthorne Bindery, then situated in Wakefield, RI. Stuart had opened the bindery after finishing his graduate school work, during which time he had taken book restoration as a hobby. In its third year, The Hawthorne Bindery took on its first apprentice: a young man named John Romano who owned an out-of-print book store, Sign of the Unicorn in Peacedale, RI. The bindery remained open for several years, but following a shift in the economy, Stuart and John went separate ways; Stuart went to work in the Museum Box division of Excel Case Company, a local producer of fine jewelry boxes and displays, and John went to Len Hartnett Archival Boxes.

Our Brand

After several years in the box making business, John and Stuart decided to form their own operation, combining their box knowledge with their unique bookbinding skills. In March of 1984, they incorporated and rented a space on Valley Street in what is now the Rising Sun Mills, and Portfoliobox© was born. Using the deposit from their first contract, they purchased a glue machine, and quickly established themselves as producers of fine photography and art print portfolios. Portfoliobox© has worked with artists such as Aaron Siskind, Harry Callahan, Ernst Haas, and the estate of Edward Steichen. As the brand grew, they began to take on more “commercial” customers, producing presentation kits, marketing materials, and high-end event promotion and invitation packaging.

After collaborating with Taylor Box Company on projects for 20+ years, Portfoliobox© formally joined with Taylor Box Company in 2013. This partnership allowed them to take advantage of added capabilities while continuing to offer Portfoliobox© clients the handmade attention and smaller quantity runs they built their company upon. Now located in Warren, RI, John, Stuart and the workshop team continue to make super-premium custom portfolios and boxes. They have also begun producing ready-made stock portfolios, available here. Contact us today to learn more!