BOOKBINDING.
The greatest patron and promoter of binding in France was the famous Count Grolier, who was born
in 1479 . He was grand treasurer to Francis I., and was sent by that monarch as ambassador to Clement VII .
Durino- his abode at Rome, as well as at Basle and Venice, he secured the most precious copies of bookswhich could be purchased. These he had bound in a sumptuous and tasteful manner. The title of thebook was marked in gilt letters upon one side, and upon the other the words, “ Portio mea Domine sit interra viventium.” Beneath the title were the words “Jo. Grollieri et Amicorum.” De Thou , who himselfpossessed a magnificent library, specimens from which are much prized for their bindings, remarks that,“ considering the number of presents which Grolier made to his friends, and the accidents which followedon the dispersion of his library, it is surprising how many of his volumes yet adorn the most distinguishedlibraries of Paris .” Some specimens of Grolier’s binding are engraved in Shaw’s “ Encyclopaedia of Ornament.”
Connoisseurs in bookbinding also attach a high value to works from the library of Maioli, whose stylewas very similar to that of Grolier; and the books of Diana of Poictiers constitute another much-admiredclass of works. These were probably designed by Petit Bernard, and were bound in morocco of all colours,ornamented with her favourite emblems.
The Chevalier d’Eon used to bind books in calf, with ornaments copied from the Etruscan vases. Padaloup,
De Sued, and De Rome were highly celebrated among French bookbinders, and their respective styles are
described by Mr. Cundall in the Essay quoted in our former article.
“ Of late years, very great changes have taken place in the bookbinding trade, principally through theapplication of machinery to the production of what are now known as “cloth covers.” All will rememberthe old drab and blue paper boards in which the novels of the commencement of the present century wereinvariably cased; and the contrast which they furnish to the neatly-covered shilling volumes of our own dayis a gratifying proof of the spread of taste and manufacturing ability. We have seen that, in the patternsexecuted upon leather binding, the effect is produced by the employment of a number of separate tools,applied by the hand of the workman. In cloth binding, on the contrary, the effect is obtained by one strokeof a machine. The pattern is, in the first instance, drawn upon the hardest roll-brass, and the field is thencut away, leaving the pattern in relief, as in a wood-engraving. The brass dies are then heated, and impressedby the machine upon the “ cloth covers,” upon the surface of which the gold-leaf has been laid. The pressureat once fixes the gilded pattern upon the cloth, and the superfluous gold is wiped away. The speed withwhich this operation is effected, enables the most elaborate designs to be produced at an exceedingly smallcost. One great difference between leather and cloth binding consists in the fact that, in the former, the boardsare first attached to the book, and then covered with the leather; whereas in the latter the boards are coveredwith the cloth, made up into complete cases, and gilt as we have described, previous to their attachment tothe sewn portion of the book.
The “embossing machine” has been employed for many years in producing tasteless and monotonousGothic patterns for the covers of cheap Bibles and Prayer-books ; but, aided by the taste and spirit of theMessrs. Westley and Leighton, many tasteful and original designs have been latterly applied to it.
A great number and variety of beautiful designs for cloth and other machine-binding has been made byMr. William Leighton, better known by his sobriquet of “Luke Limner;” and the admirable specimens whichwe have now engraved are due to the artistic talents of that gentleman. In spite, however, of his successfullabours, it must be remarked that the decoration of book-covers has not generally received that attention fromartists which it deserves. A writer in the “Journal of Design” points out the error which is often made, ofpreparing drawings for this purpose “ as if they were to be printed in black, as on paper, with a white ground;whereas the reverse of this is needed. The subject, when used, produces light (or gold) on a dark surface,and this difference should always be observed. The dies are cut too often by tasteless engravers. All artistswho may design for bookbinders’ dies should draw in gold ink on black paper, as they will then see thedesired effect.”
Our space will not permit us to do more than refer in the most general terms to the various materialswhich have been recently employed for external binding, in addition to paper, leather, and cloth. Conspicuousamong these may be mentioned carved wood, ivory, and ebony; plastic imitations of those materials in guttapercha, papier mache, See .; stamped wood, and other materials, occasionally plated by the electrotype process.Among the artists who, besides Luke Limner, have assisted in varying and improving the character ofornamental binding, we may particularly notice Mr. Owen Jones, Mr. Henry Cole, Mr. Cundall, and Mr. Shaw.