The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-16
o IN RARE BINDINGS.
OPENING OF THE ANNUAL ExHIBI-
TON AT sCRIBNERs'.

TON At 6CRIBNHRb'.
Bssiae the rzasterpieces OF English, French,
ana Beixtan flinders the work OF the
United states shows UP weli-Only One
woman Represented In the Collection
The annual exhibition of rare bookbindings
at Scribpers' opens to-day, and the specimens
collected for this years display will be on view
until q week from Wednesday. A very beauti-
full collection Of tho examples Of the bookbind-
ere art has been brought together. and among
tho countries represented-France, England,
Belgium and the United States-the work of
the native bookbinders was of a character that
stood well the test Of comparison with tho best
of the foreign work. One interesting feature
Of the American books was the collection Of
bindings by Otto Zahn Of Memphis, Tenn. Mr..
Zahn is little known to the New York public,
and so much of his work an the present exhibit
ton contains has never been shown here before.
Three Of his books that are notably attrac.
tive In color and workmanship are 1.-THE Kasi.
Dab Of Haji,"a volume done in dark green
crushed levant with an elaborate Oriental or
namentation Of the upper cover that is accom-
plished chiefly through the inlaid red leather;
q selection from the poems of Swinburne called
''Felise," done in dark brown crushed lcvant,
ornamented with an application Of the Tudor
rose familiar to the lovers OF the Cobden.San-
derson bindings, with which Mr.. Zahn's work is
very worthy to BIO compared; and "~sylvie." by
De Nerval, which Mr.. Zahn has bound in board in
red and ornamental with tooling in small dots.
The decorations Of the upper cover are in Le
Gascon style. Particularly charming in its
combination of bird's-cgg blue, gold and black
Is the binding of "The Story of Amis and
Amite,' also done by Mr.. Iahn.
Other fine specimens Of American work are
by Stikeman and Co.. r. w. Smith. Blackwell,
49, ~.l.- n-I- 1-N
Fans done by Stikcman & Co., is most elab-
orately inlaid with open fans on a background
of rich dark-blue crushed levant. Fans done
in light-colored leather are inlaid on the side
and the back Of the book, while the doublure,
which is in pale-blue levant, is inlaid with a
bunch Of fans inlaid in green, red, white, yell
low, and brown. They are tied with a ribbon,
inlaid in red leather, making the volume ex-
ceptionally sumptuous and elaborate as a spec
linen of the bookbinder's art, even II in the
general effect it is less beautiful than some Of
the other specimens. Another fine specimen
of the Stikeman bindings is a Book Of Royal
English Book Bookbindings," done in dark
blue crushed levant and fooled in q lace pat
tern which covers the entire surface of the
bindings. Other books done by the stikeman
in brown crushed lcvant, with q Grolicr pattern
inlaid in dark blue, and w. l.. ,A~ndrews's book
cred with a toooiing OF Roger Payne design very
deliberately done.
A fine specimen of the work Of the elder Mat
thews is shown bound in dark brown and elabo-
Eately tooled. tits a copy of 1.-The Life OF 1zaak
Among the French binders represented in
the present collection are Canape, Carayon,
Ghambolle.p pru, Champs; II David, Cruel, Har-
fer, Marius Michel, Pouget, Ruban, Sam
blanex-W eckesser, Thierry. Trautz-B auzonnet,
Claessens, the Belgian, is represented by an
edition of Rabelais in brown levant, and by
Les Bigarrures ct Touches du seigneur des
laid with blue, red. and yellow. The founda;;
ton is of yellow leather and the elaborate gold
of the decoration. One specimen of Canape's
work Is a curious cover Of purple leyant de-;
1 4 Branch iaf Of !" cl eDHH s" With the Rer yellow blossom
and the green leaves inlaid in colored leather
ON the purple background makes a .combina-
The branch of flowers extends across the
whole surface of the cover. One of Thierry's
It Is Bound in red ievant, decorated in the
Groler pattern. and the doublure in red Is
TIT English binders who have contributed to
the exhibition are B,agg1nley, Bedford, the Doves
Hn sossisy. s Pc Ecs Sullivan pf Toat, NMS s1son. E Eassas:
dorf, and Miss Pridea9x. \ 9 copy Of Hoi.
bein's 1.-THE Dance of Death Zaehnsdorf has
Rated with highly symbolic tooling. This is a
series Of designs consisting of a deaths
ties crossed. They. are fooled in gold
over the entire surface of the book. Quite
s same eh artist to "fhe IS R ssS' Garden efn OF Persia "a 'f IN
which the brick.red levant covers are .orna-
%snSsa Win il bi e fes 6rieS Of fq fSsbi emd branches
Possibly tho most valuable book in the entire
collection is a first edition of Shakespeare's
iHsSSSannst' cover aSaa az are ii inlSid red flowers " and the
ornate tooling il in gold; The d99bluEe is Of
cover TO to P "a The. Art Of Music has a
Sssk;bl gs,d FT ySn1inr with IL t Seae eS9nsrs of f ESld m sna
Interesting feature Of the iBagguley bindings is
the doubiure in white vellum ornamented in
pale blue. This process of color has never yet
been used on the covers. as the entire effect Of
It relies on the contrast between, the white
yellum and the colors with which the doublure
IS ornamented. This book-a volume Of poems
lis a fac smile of a binding made for the
Gently ordered from Bageuley a number OF
books bound by his process. From the Doves
Bindery Is !, s E},T . an r,e sdi brnwn OF ,e Swiabq 9rIsid
ths ornsmentafion ior both covers; A besuti
n inl sGhe With IL 1s White and s soid H iease ss" and fo asvan'
sdit { ol Of Bsswi Seae a& q sps Fabiss sFt the e 5Et Of u
the animals used in the origina' Bewick edi
s s,SnsSaf9 4 Fe goISme Of f aesT qls es p poe asf doGe By
the Doves Bindery has a background Of dark
blue leyans with a design Of roses in gold and
ofh The onis w Woma saaP Peprese 9Sstink n the eolleo
tion is Miss S. T. Prideaux, who has for Low
in Idleness''made a binding that is striking IL
its simplicity and taste. 1t Is of maroon levant
with a deep border in gold.
the books shown. These are Shakespeare
Poems 164o. bound by Riviere; 'Racin'
GuT Cssio1 TIVE .p E9igmes' l 1857 b 6945d by b Ri Thies
sheiey's "Laon and Cythna." 1878, bound b;
Zaehnsdorf; De Quincey's Opium Eater
1922. bound by Zaehnsdorf; Walton,s Lives,
major, edition, 1928. bound by, Matthews
bound osannlSS by zaehnsdorf cay Victor aM' H Hoia%''S"s C tsan
WELL" 1923, bound by Samblancx. Weckesser
Rogers Poems and Italy" two volumes
1s30-34, bound by Tout; Dickens's Christina
Stories. five volumes. 1S43-4s. bound by Zaehns
dorf, and Swinburnes "Atalanta," 1865. boun'
by Zaehnsdorf.