Aldis, M.A.
Cambridge: at the University Press 1916
great collection of Robert Harley, first Earl of Oxford (d.
1724), consists of an ornate centre piece, generally diamond
shaped, with a broad tooled border. Roger Payne, one of the
best and most conscientious workmen of the second half of
the eighteenth century, has acquired a wider fame than any
other English binder, partly owing to the curiously detailed
form in which he presented his bills. He worked chiefly in
Russia leather and straight-grained morocco, and bestowed
his most elaborate decoration upon the backs of the books,
leaving the sides comparatively plain. His traditions were
carried on by Charles Hering and others, including Charles
Lewis who bound many of the Althorp books, and Kalthoeber
who revived the art of painting pictures on the edges of
books under the gold. In this method of decoration, of which
leaves are fanned out, and is completely hidden lmder the gold when the book is shut. Francis Bedford, at one time a
partner of Lewis, was one of the most noted binders of the nineteenth century and bears a reputation for sound
workmanship. In recent times conspicuously good work has been done in the designing and execution of gold-tooled
bindings by both amateur and professional binders. In this movement a leading part has been taken by Mr Cobden-
Sanderson, Mr Douglas Cockerell, and Miss S. T. Prideaux; and, largely due to their teaching and practice, it is now well
recognized that no exterior decoration of a book, however artistically designed and skillfully executed, can make a
satisfactory binding unless it is combined with equal attention to the principles of sound forwarding.
It is the custom in this country and in America to issue new books in cloth binding, but on the continent the practice of
publishing new books in paper covers still obtains. On the assumption that a book will either be read and thrown
away, or bound and put on the shelf, the paper cover might be considered adequate to its purpose; but, since the
cloth cover is fairly serviceable and presents a decent appearance on the shelf, besides being more comfortable to
hold, it seems to be well worth the small initial extra cost.
Down to the early part of the nineteenth century trade bindings generally consisted of plain calf or sheep, or of boards
covered in grey paper with a white label on the back. About 1820 the use of glazed calico was introduced, and some
ten years later the fabric which goes under the name of cloth began to be specially manufactured for the covering of
books. At first these covers were quite plain with paper labels on the back; but soon the sides were embossed by way
of ornamentation, and gold lettering took the place of the paper label. Then, gold was employed for decoration as well
as for lettering, and elaborate designs were devised, frequently covering the whole of the boards, especially in the
pretentious volumes known as table books.
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