New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-06
BINDINGS AND EDITIONS.

-MEUNIER BEDFORD, AND
OTHrRs-LARGE PAPER EDI-
TONS AND THE LATEST
EXTRAvAGANCEs
OF THE PUB
LISTERS
London. December ~.
u-bo b;ndinp NJ hooks IN England | should be
Iposed to describe as a Lost Art. except that
l speak Of 1t as lost implies that 1t once was
lind ] read with pleasure not long since III
Inr columns an account OF an exhiD''lo" VI
bd;ngs in New-York wherein just estimate
is nut upon the work Of Mr.. Golden sander
H. thought II the more creditable TO the
liter because he seemed to me not SO much an
unert in binding as a lover of art, and one VINO
Id.rst ood tAst art. ell art, rests upon certain
Encinles He pointed odt that Mr. Golden
Endcrson's work rests upol false prihcipe'
! II most assuredly does. The motive OF MS
.coratfon il initiative and not conventional
n his work continues t. sell at enormous
Eces-prices gu; Of all proportion TO the value
the binding even were it good and not pao'
London bookseller asked customer IN NY
|arlne 800 for two small specimens OF MI
ensclvss were valueess. What I mean by
Li,c that sncb price is out of all proportion
uthis Allowing for all the exuberance OF tool
IL a accounting that all the tools were sep
late the charge of a frst-rate French binder
- two sucb volumes would not have exceeded
n. and II would have been good work instead OF
Id =.
|Rut the public is at sea about bindings IL
Cas shovv ornament and meretricious decora-
bn. Mr. Golden Sanderson gives them that
la they seem perfectly happy TO pay fancy
t,ce for f. Some day these bold buyers VII!
l. cover that the inflated prices cannot be MAIN
lined The bound volumes will come to the
|ucbstone Of the auctioneers hammer. A sale
I.ono makes havoc of many such Illusions. 1t is
| rude but in the long run good test so lar
l. mara money value is concerned always pro-
dad that there be no Knockout" However
,nnose the admirers Of Mr. Golden Sanderson
lLe Measure IN his crudities or imagine they
like Measure in them. and may continue to take
essure until they take the trouble to master the
bd,ments Of the art of which they cOncelVeu
Inn tn he n practitioner. If they like to spend
honey on art which is not art there Is no'n'ng
| no said The reason for public criticism OF
hess nretentious efforts is to be found In pubic
alton Of them That one sometimes sees
,os,,v In papers which have literature. ana
-bich seem TO think that because they are en-
tied TO an opinion on literature they are
rti,Ied 10 an opinion on bindings. There Is
othing In common between the two.
There is I will admit. a French Golden SAN
erson. a better workman, no doubt. but with
,,ualIv false views of art. The Frenchman
an,s &c Charles Meunier. But the difference IN
he renutation and position of these two binders
french and English. is instructive. Meunier Is
oerelv fantastic and known as sucn; MI
.ohden Sanderson's admirers rank MIN among
reat craftsmen You are told he Is the Des'
rtist of his time, perhaps of all time AS
here has never been an English binder worthy
q he mentioned with the Ewes with lie Gascoh'
lith Padeloup with any good Derome Vi WIZ"
u best modern binders like Trautz-Bauzohhe'
1 C,zn this comparative panegyrc on MT
anderson does not amount to much But lel
s leave Roger Payne and Lewis. and sui more
ucb apprentices as Kalthoeber and Herring out
4 the question Let us take Bedford. what
ras BEDFORD? A capable handicraftsnah'
mechanic clever artisan. Many OF MS Dlhu-
ngs are solid and durable pieces OF WORK oh
10 one Of them is there any art-work except III
n far as that kind of decoration wnich is
vowedly copy can be called art-work ne
ould initiate Grolier. Thu men who wrought
or that great bOok-lover created style Oh H'uch
,eauty: simple. effective. and In good taste IL
las been followed by scores or men VINO couiu
ollow but not lead nor create Beo1ord was
ne dozen French binders OF the same periou
we're Bedford's superiors In the refinement 'Ne
elhacy the accuracy OF the embehish"ieh'
which they imposed on the covers OF DooK'
Yet Bedford Is the one name OF Importance III INC
history Of modern English binding.
In technical excellence Mr.. Golden Sander
on. who began as an amateur ana remains oil
mateur, never approached BEDFORD III ioi-
varding in the treatment OF the morocco IN the
se of delicate tools In the quality OF MS glioins'
n a hundred other details, Bedford showed the
ira ctised skill and sureness OF the PROFESSIONAL
Ar Cobden Sanderson IS always feeling MS way.
these however are not the main points at issue
Nc are concerned with decoration. Mr.. sander
on's customers are his customers because MS
work peases them. He has puphc
n America, ] hear.-some OF his pinoihs are "
,e seen in reputable private collections. well III
cost good galleries there are bad pictures III
most libraries there are books when are Niiie-
tones along the road the collector has travelled.
,ooner or later he gets rid of them' though
ave known "a man who kept his mistakes, say
ng that mistakes and milestones were both evil
ences OF progress, or might be II you went
,eyond them. Mr.. Sanderson's bindings may
erve that useful purpose.
The number of publishers who find 1t prohtaoie
O issue more or less limited editions on large
,aper is still considerable They are amply re-
nunerated If they sell a few. The cost OF pro-
Iuct;on is but slightly greater than on ordinary
,aper. except where the type has TO De rem
,osed and that is usually avoided The seiiing
rice is often treble or more, and race OF young
BUYERS is always coming up. The young buyer
las TO learn his business just as mucn as the
,oung seller has and learning Is always ex-
,ensive. When a man has once given the reihs
o his enthusiasm and stocked his shelves win
arge-paper copies and seen their money vaiue