INTRODUCTION

In treating of the Art of Bookbinding as practised in the present day, it will not be necessary to enter into any discussion concerning either the antiquity of the Art, or the manner of preserving books, on and before the invention of printing, this being a subject requiring so much study and such extensive research, as to preclude its being brought within the limits of an introduction.

Binding is the art of folding the sheets of a book, securing them together, affixing boards or sides thereto, and covering the whole with leather or other materials. There are various styles of binding, as half-binding, where the backs and corners only are covered with leather, and the sides or boards with marbled or coloured paper. Law binding, which is generally confined to law books, the leather being left its natural colour, and the edges of the leaves plain. Dutch binding is where the backs are of vellum or parchment. In boards signifies that the book is slightly done up, and covered with paper or cloth. The styles of binding for the various classes of literature are denominated by the titles of filletted, lettered, gilt, half-extra, extra, super extra, according to the quantity and style of work employed: thus we say calf, morocco, or russia extra, &c.

The trade of a Bookbinder has been ranked among the most difficult of the arts.