PLATE LII.

BOOKBINDING AND INLAYING,

BY BATTEN OF CLAPHAM.

It may be safely affirmed, that the art of bookbinding in this country within the last fifty years hasnever been surpassed by that of any other period in its history. The names of Herring, Lewis, Mackinlay,Hayday, and many others, deserve to be cited in future ages along with those of Grolier* Padaloup, De Rome,and Roger Payne; and among the works in this department contributed to the Great Exhibition few weremore agreeable in design, or more admirable in workmanship, than those of Mr. Batten, a specimen of whichwe now engrave.

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As the subject of bookbinding possesses much historical and artistic interest, we propose to noticesuccessively the general nature of the operations it involves; the history and progress of the art; and suchparticular kinds of bookbinding as modern ingenuity has supplied as varieties from ordinary leather work.

The processes of binding maybe divided generally into three stages;—namely, “ making-up;” ‘‘covering;’’and “finishing,” or decorating. The sheets, as they leave the printers, having been folded by females, are“gathered” into the succession necessary to form complete books. They are then collated, and subjected toa “rolling press,” by passing through which they acquire the compactness necessary to a well-bound book.The sheets are then sewn, by a thread passed successively though the middle of each sheet, to three or morestrong bands, running transversely across the back of the book. This operation is also performed by females,with the aid of a simple apparatus called a “ sewing-press.” The book is thus “ made-up,” and ready for“covering.” The case, or complete cover, consists of the boards, or stiffenins: substance for the sides, and theleather, technically termed the cover, which, at the same time, envelopes the boards and forms the back.

After sewing, the back of the unbound book is glued, to render the cohesion of the sheets more perfect;and by the skilful application of a hammer the binder gives a graceful convexity to the back, and forms theedges into grooves to receive the boards. The book being held in a cutting-press, the top and bottom edgesare cut perfectly smooth with a pointed knife, or plough. To produce upon the front, or “ fore-edge,” aconvexity corresponding with the curve of the back, it is necessary to render the latter again temporarilyflat. The front edges are then cut smooth, and the back, resuming its rounded form, necessarily producesthe desired curvature in front.

The mill-boards for the sides being carefully cut to the proper size, they are attached to the book bypassing through them the ends of the bands to which the sheets were sewn. The next operation is that ofputting on the cover, whether of roan, calf, morocco, or russia leather; and in this the dexterity of the skilfulworkman is displayed. The leather is cut sufficiently large to turn over the boards, and its edges are paredthin to avoid any unsightly appearance when completed. It is pasted to the boards with the greatest nicetyand smoothness, and particular care is taken to turn in the corners neatly. In “ half-bound books, the backsand corners only are covered with leather, and the main portion of the sides with marbled paper or clothThe best kind of books are made to open with what is termed a “ hollow back; ” an ornamental “ head-band ”is added, and raised “bands ” are formed by strips of cord glued across the back. The edges are then “sprinkled,”“ marbled,” or gilt. Without dwelling upon these matters of detail, we may proceed to notice briefly thethird stage of bookbinding,—that of “ finishing ” or decorating, in which the taste of the artist is called into