LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR
SECTION 16 REPORTING OBLIGATIONS



	Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby makes,
constitutes and appoints each of Scott L. Spitzer, Philip E. Kucera and C.
Cody Colquitt, each acting individually, as the undersigned's true and
lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority as hereinafter
described on behalf of and in the name, place and stead of the undersigned
to:

(1)	prepare, execute, acknowledge, deliver and file Forms 3, 4,
and 5 (including any amendments thereto) with respect to the securities of
Bowne & Co., Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), with the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission, any national securities
exchanges and the Company, as considered necessary or advisable under
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder, as amended from time to time (the
"Exchange Act");

(2)	seek or obtain, as the undersigned's
representative and on the undersigned's behalf, information on transactions
in the Company's securities from any third party, including brokers,
employee benefit plan administrators and trustees, and the undersigned
hereby authorizes any such person to release any such information to the
undersigned and approves and ratifies any such release of information; and


(3)	perform any and all other acts which in the discretion of such
attorney-in-fact are necessary or desirable for and on behalf of the
undersigned in connection with the foregoing.

The undersigned
acknowledges that:

(1)	this Power of Attorney authorizes, but does not
require, each such attorney-in-fact to act in their discretion on
information provided to such attorney-in-fact without independent
verification of such information;

(2)	any documents prepared and/or
executed by either such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned
pursuant to this Power of Attorney will be in such form and will contain
such information and disclosure as such attorney-in-fact, in his or her
discretion, deems necessary or desirable;

(3)	neither the Company nor
either of such attorneys-in-fact assumes (i) any liability for the
undersigned's responsibility to comply with the requirement of the Exchange
Act, (ii) any liability of the undersigned for any failure to comply with
such requirements, or (iii) any obligation or liability of the undersigned
for profit disgorgement under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act; and


(4)	this Power of Attorney does not relieve the undersigned from
responsibility for compliance with the undersigned's obligations under the
Exchange Act, including without limitation the reporting requirements under
Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

	The undersigned hereby gives and
grants each of the foregoing attorneys-in-fact full power and authority to
do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary
or appropriate to be done in and about the foregoing matters as fully to
all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do if present,
hereby ratifying all that each such attorney-in-fact of, for an on behalf
of he undersigned, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this
Limited Power of Attorney.

	This Power of Attorney shall remain in
full force and effect until revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing
delivered to each such attorney-in-fact.

	IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be executed as of this
First day of October, 2002.




					Signature




					Print Name: Richard Bambach, Jr.



STATE OF
NEW YORK		)
				)
COUNTY OF NEW YORK		)



	On this First day
of October, 2002, Richard Bambach, Jr. personally appeared before me, and
acknowledged that he executed the foregoing instrument for the purposes
therein contained.

	IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand
and official seal.



					Notary Public: Lucille
Scarangello


					My Commission Expires: 4/5/2003