Born in Barcelona on September 4, 1901; at his 12 entered as binder apprentice at Gibert Reig y Trillas’s workshop. At nights, additionally attended binding lessons at the Instituto Catalán de las Artes del Libro (Catalonia Institute to Book Arts), incorporating afterwards to the Escuela de Artes y Oficios y Bellas Artes de Barcelona. In Paris he contacted to other decorators and book professionals adding his training at the drawing academy of Momparnasse and at the Chamber Syndicate de la Reilure (‘Sindicate Chamber of Reilure’). He learnt about of French style this way and became a renowned figure of graphics arts as well as painter and drawer.

In 1923 he returned to Spain to fulfill the military service. After completion he decided to stay in Barcelona starting his relationship with publisher Subirana where created a section of artistic binding. With this publisher he was awarded with the first prize at the Exposición Internacional de Barcelona (‘International Exhibition of Barcelona’) in 1929 that made him worldwide known. Setting up, with his brother José, his own workshop in Aribau street from 1931 and in coincidence with the renaissance of bibliophile in Catalonia, he started his divulgative effort reading classes at the Escuela Industrial (‘Industrial School’) and the Escuela de Bibliotecarios de Barcelona (‘Librarian School of Barcelona’), adding numerous conferences in Madrid and Barcelona. His son Santiago also collaborated with both and, as outstanding drawer, added certain novelty in design.

Brugalla develops his bindings as art works, taking care in all details, and looking after the time passing does not deteriorate the leather quality, the book weight does not disarrange from the spine, the opening being soft, sweet, and without obstacles. Those were that ways and, in fact, his bindings have been kept unchanged to time passing. Emilio Brugalla died in 1987.