Bib-li-op-e-gis-tic (Pertaining to the art of binding books--Dibdin) to which is appended a glossary of some terms used in the craft with Illustrations of Bindings Designed and Executed by The Trow Press, New York

Bib-li-op-e-gis-tic (Pertaining to the art of binding books--Dibdin) to which is appended a glossary of some terms used in the craft with Illustrations of Bindings Designed and Executed by The Trow Press, New York

Illustration: Oliver Cromwell: Green Levant--inlays of red and black leather. Decorative tooling in gold.

Contents
Bib-li-op-e-gis-tic
Illustration: Oliver Cromwell: Green Levant--inlays of red and black leather. Decorative tooling in gold.
Introduction
Illustration: Carols V. Gerichtsordnung (1597); Vine colored Levant--inlays of red and green leather. Interlacing bands and decoration tooled in gold.
Illustration: The Book of the Presidents; Maroon Levant--"arms" (Tiffany & Co. design) inlaid in colored leather. Plain mitred panels, tooled in gold.
Illustration: The Book of the Presidents—Doublé Levant--national colors. Tooled in gold.
The Trow Bindery
Illustration: No. 1. Vellum;
Illustration: No. 2. Linen;
Illustration No. 3. Buckram; All Three are samples of specially designed "Marbled" cloths for sides and linings of half, three-quarter or full leather bindings
Illustration: The Historic Hudson—Doublé Green Levant. Pictorial inlay and decoration tooled in gold.
The Scope of our Work
Illustration: Memorial Volume--Doublé Royal Purple Levant. Floral design inlaid and hand colored.
Glossary of Terms
Azured.
Bands.
Boards.
Bosses.
Burnish.
Collating.
Dentelle.
Doublé.
End Papers or Lining Papers.
Fillet.
Finishing.
Flexible.
Illustration: A Century of French Romance Edition work. French Levant with colored inlays. Decoration "stamped" in gold.
Illustration: A Century of French Romance Edition work. Persian Morocco. Semis (powder or diaper design) "stamped" in gold.
Fore edge.
Forwarding.
Gaufre Edges.
Gouge.
Guards.
Inlaying.
Kettle-Stitch.
Lacing-In.
Limp.
Marbling.
Mitred.
Morocco.
Overcasting.
Pointillé.
Preparing.
Register.
Rolls.
Sawing-in.
Semis.
Signature.
Squares.
Tall Copy.
Tooling.
Illustration: Specimen decorative backs for half or full leather bindings. Edition work or single volumes.
Interpretation of Styles
ALDINE OR ITALIAN
GROLIER
MAIOLI
ÈVE
MOSAIC
LE GASCON
DEROME
ROGER PAYNE
JANSEN

Introduction

The craft of the bookbinder is older than that of the printer. Quoting from Mr. Brander Matthews:

"Perhaps the first bookbinder was the humble workman who collected the baked clay tiles on which the Assyrians wrote their laws; and he was a bookbinder also who prepared a protecting cylinder to guard the scrolls of papyrus on which Vergil, and Horace, and Martial had written their verses."

Modern art in bookbinding began in Italy in the fifteenth century. The invention of printing had so multiplied books that the work got out of the hands of the monks, and workmen from other trades were pressed into service, bringing with them their skill in working leather, as well as their tools, and designs which they had previously used to decorate their work.

At this time the libraries were shelves, so inclined, as to allow of the books lying on their sides, inviting their decoration. At first the embellishment was suggested or influenced by the work in the volume, and very often there would be found on the cover, repetition of the typographic ornaments used by the printer.