New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-27
BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS.
PRIVATE LIBRARIES OF NETWORK.

A MONOGRAPH on PRIVATELY 1LLCSTRATED
R9oE T2c,so Plea for bD2m"3l2 By Pr n22G
FOUR PRIVATE LInRARIEs OF .NEw.YoEK. A
Contribution, to the History Of nbliophIlsm in
Dos Preface by octave Uzaune vo PIP
10. Duprat Co.
Mr.. Treadwcll's portly volume will he rcvela-
ton to the majority Of those who open it; for
after visiting most of the scores OF private
libraries whose rarcr treasures be describes with
such infectious enthusiasm. lie hos made q compu-
tation of the amount of capital Invested in extra
illustration in and around New-York. and las
reached the conclusion that the sum total is he
tween thirteen and sixteen millions of dollars .
II is true that the significance of this fact is not
beyond controversY. There has orC been n dis
pute among book-lovers TO the relation of extra
illustration to bibliophilism and il must he adj
mittcd-save by the chief sinners conccrncd-that
there is great deal of extra illustration which is
merely mechanical and unintclligcnt: which spoils
many good books without producing better ores
by extension: and which is LITTLE more tlan an
undiscriminating collection Of prints, ctchings.
water-coors, etc. good. hal and indifferent. ard
tie insertion Of them between the leaves OF books
II mus, also be said that Mr. Treadwen gives
many illustrations of this kind Of bock-illnStr1-
ton cases 10 which some not particularly val
liable work in one or two volumes has been eN-
tended" to ten fifteen or twenty volumes by the
insertion Of thousands Of prints.
There is moreover class Of eXtra-ilustrator'
who can ONLY he characterized as enemies to l'er-
AZURE and who have no claim whatever 70 pr
considered book-lovcrs. There are the pestcnt
ncoplc who destroy good books for the sake, often
Of a single PRINT in order 70 secure that single
rrint in some monstrously "eXtcndrd' work.
which, as rule is in no way helped by the vahdi
ism. True book-lovers will agree with rs that III"
man capable Of such an act is hateT, rather than
lover. Of books: and it 'woud be impossible TO
cav bov many thousands Of fine volumes have
been sacrificed to what is at bottom bat phase
Of the collecting mania ard no TO he recorded
as having any literary relation than the craze Tor
amassinc wallino-sticks, or old pipes, or snuh-
boxes or postage stamps Neither need extra
illus ration imply any knowledge OF books. rich
and illiteratc man. learning that IT Is the time
70 own library, and that there is vogue for
private Illustration, can al any time pnt mn,cIi
so far " in the swim by commissioning one OF the
many experts whose services are obtainablr ioF
a consideration 10 hunt mp prints for any book
and to insert them artistiCally aitcrward. Moth
ino j. easier when the means are ~ hand. Extra
illustration has become 30 much business in
these DAYS that the experts know just where 70
turn for the prints and ctchngS - illustrate al
most any work, and they can carry tie ""Nten-
sion" as far the purse OF the patron VIII -.
such work, Of course, has nothing TO do with bib
lioplism, nor is it evidence OF literary taste, nor
of culture in any kind
Mr.. Trcadwcll appears to put rather too much
weight upon the extent Of book illustration and
its cost Now it should lie clear that neither
of these considerations has any legitimate con
1.,,,r, 1o,l,n If hTf IL
There is one enormously extended work mentioned
in these pages which Nj Trcodwcll appraises at
$50. 900. BIT the amount in no way indicates
the value from the point Of view Of the bbophilc
TO create a museum Of prints may afford oppor-
tunity for research and proper expenditure. but
NJ the same time il may have no literary slgnll-
canoe TO know what really artistic extra IL
lustration is the beautifully made and Illustrated
volume of Henri Pene du Bots must be consulted.
This book with its heavy laid paper, its clear and
delicate typography, its charming visnettcs, and
its coored plates illustrating fine buildings, IL
in itself quite gem, and 1t is written by true
book lover. who knows his subject thoroughly.
IT, is true that il is concerned with general
subjects than Mr. Ireadwell treats. The lat'er
considers the great question OF bindings Only
incidentally. The eXtra-iustrator does not, as
a rule devote much consideration to his bind-
mos So that they be sufficiently massive and
rich. he is generally content; but Mr.. Pene du
Bots presents, from the four libraries which con-
stitute his text examples Of binding and OF extra
illustration which are ideally noble and exquisite,
and which indicate the application OF khowi-
edge and refined taste to the work. Several oil
the books in the library Of Mr. George b. DE
Forest are OF this kind books illustrated wholly
by some one artist, who has put all his genius
into the sketches; books bound by one OF the
great artist-bindcrs.
Mr.. Pene du Bots has ideas about extra illustra-
ton. Of which lie says: "Of 100 DOCKS cN-
tended by the insertion of prints which were not
made for them, ninety-nine are ruined: the
bundredth book is no longer a book; it is Il
museum. Oh the Waltons illustrated with
colored plates Of American Governmental reports
| of fish commissioners. The Nell Gwynns OF Gun
ninchaln. with the engraving that makes valuable
Guiline's IIerallryl The Bibliomaniacs OF Dildin
with queer etchings Of poor, dear, forgotten
| Bary!" and he chaactcrizcs Grangcrism as re-
sulting in ian imperfect book. built with the
spoils of q thousand books crazy-quilt made OF
patches cut out of the gowns of queens and soul
| lions lie admits. indeed. that prints may be
| inserted in books; but he adds that books may
| be "augmented-~in beauty, in interest, and IN
| value-by the insertion Of prints not made for
| them There are none extended His advice
| against extension is frequently reinforced by the
| tremendous catalogue Of extended books given by
Mr. Treadwell and the latter frankly observes
| that there are many books described 10 this