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Bookbindings

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Hardback
240 Pages
1 October 2026
RRP: $99.99
$93.00
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Bindings have been an essential – and often beautiful – component of books since the codex form was invented 2,000 years ago. They make books work, but they also provide an opportunity for binders to display their skills. Until book trade processes were industrialised in the nineteenth century, every binding was a unique handcrafted object, no matter how simple or elaborate it now looks from the outside. Bindings have been made of all kinds of materials – calfskin, parchment, vellum, ivory, even silver – and embellished using many different techniques, to satisfy the wishes of owners from students to kings. The ways in which they were produced and decorated have evolved steadily over time, and many countries have their own distinctive traditions. Bindings may testify to the taste and social status of wealthy connoisseurs, or to the economic necessities of ordinary households. Because they can often be dated and localised, they also give us information about the histories of individual volumes. 

This lavishly illustrated book provides a fascinating history of the development of bookbindings from Roman times to the present day. Almost all the examples are chosen from the shelves of the Bodleian Library, showcasing the outstanding collection of historic bindings to be found there.

‘Full of beautiful images of bookbindings from the beginnings of the codex right up to the present day. The volume’s beauty is matched by David Pearson’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject.’ – Sara J. Charles

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    Product Details
    ISBN-13
    9781851246458
    Author
    David Pearson
    Publisher
    Bodleian Library Publishing
    Published
    1 October 2026
    Format
    Hardback
    Pages
    240

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    RRP: $99.99
    $93.00
    Ships in 2-5 business days

    Delivery estimate

    Hurry up! Current stock:

    Bookbindings

    RRP: $99.99
    $93.00

    Description

    Bindings have been an essential – and often beautiful – component of books since the codex form was invented 2,000 years ago. They make books work, but they also provide an opportunity for binders to display their skills. Until book trade processes were industrialised in the nineteenth century, every binding was a unique handcrafted object, no matter how simple or elaborate it now looks from the outside. Bindings have been made of all kinds of materials – calfskin, parchment, vellum, ivory, even silver – and embellished using many different techniques, to satisfy the wishes of owners from students to kings. The ways in which they were produced and decorated have evolved steadily over time, and many countries have their own distinctive traditions. Bindings may testify to the taste and social status of wealthy connoisseurs, or to the economic necessities of ordinary households. Because they can often be dated and localised, they also give us information about the histories of individual volumes. 

    This lavishly illustrated book provides a fascinating history of the development of bookbindings from Roman times to the present day. Almost all the examples are chosen from the shelves of the Bodleian Library, showcasing the outstanding collection of historic bindings to be found there.

    ‘Full of beautiful images of bookbindings from the beginnings of the codex right up to the present day. The volume’s beauty is matched by David Pearson’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject.’ – Sara J. Charles

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