Library Company of Philadelphia
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Welcome to the Library Company of Philadelphia's Tumblr page! Founded by Ben Franklin in 1731, we are an independent research library specializing in American history and culture from the 17th through the 19th centuries. This page highlights materials from LCP's extensive collection of rare books, manuscripts, broadsides, ephemera, prints, photographs, and works of art.
As evidenced by this publishers’ binding, purple bookcloth is notorious for fading. Notice the distinct line where the fading begins. The portion of the cloth that did not fade was protected from the sun, probably by another book on the shelf.
Browse the Library Company’s database of 19th-Century Cloth Bindings to see more!