Exhibition
The bindings selected for this digital library reflect the history of decorated cloth binding, the talents of various artists, the different styles and origins, and the changes that took place over the decades.
Publishers’ bindings are incredibly interesting to study as they speak to the advancement of the book industry as a whole with the rise of machine technology. The early 19th century saw a dramatic shift away from the hand-press era, with the new tools and techniques utilized in book production making it possible for books to be printed on a massive scale. With this newfound speed, there was a growth in different areas of literature printed and published, and inevitably a change in how books were created, marketed, and sold.
Decorated cloth bindings were made to be pretty on purpose, to catch your eye, and maybe even communicate a bit about the book you wanted to read. They were made of sturdy book cloth with blind tooling and gilt designs that were beautifully composed and crafted. Over the hundred or so years they were in production, publishers’ bindings were an integral part of people’s experience with books. They selected them, held them, and collected ones they found attractive. To support this trend, new doors for artists opened in cover design, and many found lasting careers in the industry. Some of these designers are present in this exhibition, such as Margaret Armstrong, Thomas Watson Ball, and Alice C. Morse.
In order to explore these facets of book history, this exhibition takes a look at publishers’ bindings themselves, from the early nineteenth century through to the twentieth. It also examines who designed them, what their stories were, and what they left as their legacy. And finally, it explains some of the unique aspects that went into the production of these stunning bindings as the industry developed.