It’s time for a #Feathursday edition of #PublishersBindingThursday! Published in 1850, our copy of The Book of Birds features a stunning color-blocked white cloth binding.

Browse the Library Company’s database of 19th-Century Cloth Bindings to see more!

The Book of birds. Philadelphia : George S. Appleton. 1850.       

The incredible decoration on our copy of C.W. Webber’s Wild Scenes and Song-Birds (New York, 1854) is a perfect example of the tendency toward rich elaboration on publishers’ bindings in the 1850s. The combination of faux-marble printed pattern book cloth and intense gilt-stamping make for a memorable binding that would have looked impressive on a coffee table. 

Check out of database of 19th-Century Cloth Bindings to see more!

#Feathursday #PublishersBindingsThursday

Webber, C. W. Wild Scenes and Song - Birds. New York : George P. Putnam.  1854  

This week’s #MiniatureMonday is for the birds! 

Measuring just over 8 cm, The History of Curious and Wonderful Birds (New York, circa 1830s) is filled with woodcut illustrations of birds from all over the world. We especially love the vibrant yellow printed paper wrappers on our copy.

The History of curious and wonderful birds.  New-York: : Printed and sold by Mahlon Day, at the New Juvenile Bookstore, no. 376, Pearl-Street., [between 1833 and 1839?] 16 p. :  ill. ;  88 mm.

One of our favorite parts about working with special collections is seeing how previous owners interacted with the materials as objects. We found this fabulous #Feathursday feature, dated 1857, while cataloging our copy of The Select Letters of Major Jack Downing (Philadelphia, 1834). Here, the blank leaves bound at the front of the book were used as a drawing pad– thirteen years after the book was published. 

Smith, Seba, 1792-1868. The select letters of Major Jack Downing. Philadelphia: Printed for the Publisher., 1834. xi, [1], 212 p. :  ill. ;  18 cm

A Feathursday edition of Publishers’ Binding Thursday! Published in 1850, The Book of Birds features a stunning color-blocked white cloth binding. #PutaBirdOnIt

Browse the Library Company’s database of 19th-Century Cloth Bindings to see more!

1850, The Book of birds. Philadelphia : George S. Appleton. 1850. 11.5 cm x 14.5 cm x 2.5 cm

Perfect printed paper wrappers for #FowlFriday

The history of birds. Portland : Bailey & Noyes, [1860-1875?]
16 p. :  ill. ;  10 cm.