D. C.
November 1901.
CONTENTS
| PART I | |
| BINDING | |
| PAGE | |
| Editor’s Preface | [7] |
| Author’s Note | [11] |
| CHAPTER I | |
| Introduction | [17] |
| CHAPTER II | |
| Entering—Books in Sheets—Folding—Collating—Pullingto Pieces—Refolding—Knockingout Joints | [33] |
| CHAPTER III | |
| Guarding—Throwing Out—Paring Paper—Soakingoff India Proofs—Mounting veryThin Paper—Splitting Paper—Inlaying—FlatteningVellum | [53] |
| CHAPTER IV | |
| Sizing—Washing—Mending | [67] |
| CHAPTER V | |
| End Papers—Leather Joints—Pressing | [80] |
| CHAPTER VI | |
| Trimming Edges before Sewing—Edge Gilding | [92] |
| CHAPTER VII | |
| Marking up—Sewing—Materials for Sewing | [98] |
| CHAPTER VIII | |
| Fraying out Slips—Glueing up—Rounding andBacking | [114] |
| CHAPTER IX | |
| Cutting and Attaching Boards—Cleaning offBack—Pressing | [124] |
| CHAPTER X | |
| Cutting in Boards—Gilding and Colouring Edges | [139] |
| CHAPTER XI | |
| Headbanding | [147] |
| CHAPTER XII | |
| Preparing for Covering—Paring Leather—Covering—MitringCorners—Filling-in Boards | [152] |
| CHAPTER XIII | |
| Library Binding—Binding very Thin Books—Scrap-Books—Bindingin Vellum—Bookscovered with Embroidery | [173] |
| CHAPTER XIV | |
| Decoration—Tools—Finishing—Tooling onVellum—Inlaying on Leather | [188] |
| CHAPTER XV | |
| Lettering—Blind Tooling—Heraldic Ornament | [215] |
| CHAPTER XVI | |
| Designing for Gold-Tooled Decoration | [230] |
| CHAPTER XVII | |
| Pasting down End Papers—Opening Books | [254] |
| CHAPTER XVIII | |
| Clasps and Ties—Metal on Bindings | [259] |
| CHAPTER XIX | |
| Leather | [263] |
| CHAPTER XX | |
| Paper—Pastes—Glue | [280] |
| PART II | |
| CARE OF BOOKS WHEN BOUND | |
| CHAPTER XXI | |
| Injurious Influences to which Books are Subjected | [291] |
| CHAPTER XXII | |
| To Preserve Old Bindings—Re-backing | [302] |
| Specifications | [307] |
| Glossary | [313] |
| Reproductions of Bindings (Eight Collotypes) | [319] |
| Index | [337] |
PART I
BINDING
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The reasons for binding the leaves of a book are to keep them together in their proper order, and to protect them. That bindings can be made, that will adequately protect books, can be seen from the large number of fifteenth and sixteenth century bindings now existing on books still in excellent condition. That bindings are made, that fail to protect books, may be seen by visiting any large library, when it will be found that many bindings have their boards loose and the leather crumbling to dust. Nearly all librarians complain, that they have to be continually rebinding books, and this not after four hundred, but after only five or ten years.
It is no exaggeration to say that ninety per cent. of the books bound in leather during the last thirty years will need rebinding during the next thirty. The immense expense involved must be a very serious drag on the usefulness of libraries; and as rebinding is always to some extent damaging to the leaves of a book, it is not only on account of the expense that the necessity for it is to be regretted.
The reasons that have led to the production in modern times of bindings that fail to last for a reasonable time, are twofold. The materials are badly selected or prepared, and the method of binding is faulty. Another factor in the decay of bindings, both old and new, is the bad conditions under which they are often kept.