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A History of English Craft Bookbinding Technique / Bernard C. Middleton
Books
REF.BB.1178
xv, 326 p., [11] p. of plates : ill. ; 24 cm.
1978
Bookbinding
This title takes a bibliographical approach to the history of English bookbinding, covering every part of the structure (not just the cover decorations). The book is noted to be the first attempt to chart the history of English bookbinding in all its technical aspects, dealing both with the ordinary commercial varieties of binding as well as the highly decorated types. Chapters cover the material of leaves and folding, beating and pressing, sewing, endpapers, gluing the spine, rounding and backing, boards and their attachment, edge-trimming and decoration, headbands, back linings, covering, finishing, siding and pasting down, book repairs and restorations, and equipment. Also included are appendices on the London Bookbinding trade c. 1800, working conditions and hours, the growth of fine and wholesale binderies, specialization in book-edge gilding, the arts and crafts movement and its influence on bookbinding methods and styles, and an investigation into the causes and prevention of leather decay. The book finishes with a brief summary, author's note and supplement, and an index. Included are 11 black and white plates demonstrating bookbinding examples.