Library Company of Philadelphia
We adore this decidedly witchy gilt decoration on our copy of Virginia W. Johnson’s The Kettle Club (Boston, 1866) #SpineTingling #PublishersBindingThursday #GreenPublishersBindingThursday
Johnson, Virginia W.
The Kettle Club. Boston:
Nichols and Noyes,
1866.
This week’s publishers’ binding is elegant in its simplicity. We love the delicate gold ferns against the green cloth, and the bevelled edge boards create a luxurious hand-feel. Notice also the type on the gold-stamped title. This spare and understated design is consistent with the aesthetic trend in American publishers’ bindings in the 1860s. Found on our copy of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s May-Day, and Other Pieces (Boston, 1867). #PublishersBindingThursday
Browse the Library Company’s database of 19th-Century Cloth Bindings to see more!
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. May-day, and other pieces. Boston : Ticknor and Fields.
1867.
We don’t know anything about Charles Heim, the previous owner of our copy of True Politeness (New York, 1854), but based on the condition of this binding we imagine he was an exceedingly polite gentleman. #WellLovedBooks #PublishersBindingThursday
Browse our database of 19th-century cloth bindings to see more!
True politeness. New York : Leavitt & Allen.
1854.
12 cm x 8.5 cm x .5 cm.
It’s a #Feathursday edition of #PublishersBindingThursday! Our copy of Browne’s American Poultry Yard (New York, 1850) features a gold-stamped composite image based on several different illustrations from the text. #GreenPublishersBindingThursday
Browse our database of 19th-century cloth bindings to see more!
Browne, Daniel Jay. The American poultry yard. New York : C. M. Saxton.
1850. 20 cm x 13 cm x 3.5 cm
Pull up a chair and take a moment to appreciate the gilt-stamped binding on our copy of Downing’s The Architecture of Country Houses (New York, 1856). 19th-Century publishers’ bindings marked a new trend in book decoration: using images from the text as part of the cover design. Prior to this, book decoration rarely related to the textual content.
The three chairs featured here are from an engraving on page 454 of the text.
Browse our database of 19th-century cloth bindings to see more!
https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/cloth%3A40842
It’s a #PublishersBindingThursday double feature! Both of our copies of Willis’ Sacred Poems (New York, 1847) are bound in a green and black printed-pattern cloth. We can’t decide which is our favorite. Can you?
Our copy of H.C. Bunner’s Short Sixes (New York, 1891) features this unusual, and perhaps unique, two-cloth binding. We hope this inspires others to look through their collections, we would love to see similar bindings if they’re out there!
We present this gorgeous and well-defined ribbon-embossed cloth for #PublishersBindingThursday, found on our copy of Samuel Knapp’s Life of Timothy Dexter (1838).
Ribbon-embossed grain got its name from its original intention: as decoration for cloth ribbons. However, the rising popularity of grained and decorated book-cloth in the 1830s and 1840s led to the production of ribbon-embossed cloth for use as a book covering.
Browse the Library Company’s database of 19th-Century Cloth Bindings to see more!
Knapp, Samuel L.
1838, Life of Timothy Dexter
Boston : G. N. Thomson
1838
9 cm x 16 cm x 1 cm
We love the Eastlake-inspired decorative gilt blocking on our copy of Beautiful Snow; and Other Poems (1869).
Browse the Library Company’s database of 19th-Century Cloth Bindings to see more!
A rare and beautiful printed pattern bookcloth on this #PublishersBindingThursday
Browse the Library Company’s database of 19th-Century Cloth Bindings to see more!