New-York tribune., 1900-07-29

are mixed in French publishing Hachette has
published Muntzs important work the
Renaissance in perfect form, regards typog
raphy and illustrations. But perhaps for the
reason that most French books go forth in paper
covers to be bound according to the purchasers
taste, Hachette. when he binds NJ. Muntz at
all. binds him in a monstrous design in black
and gold. The volumes look if swathed in
trashy oiIcIoth. The whole question of modern
French binding is bewildering The celebrated,
and justly celebrated, binders Of Paris repre-
sented in the show They all know their craft,
and their work illustrates, perhaps. the last word
of luxury in this department. But very few in
the group preserve uuswerving fidelity the
best traditions. Like the designers of pictorial
paper covers, they want to express too obviously
on the outside of a book the spirit of what is
I inside of it. Chambole-Duro. Eretault and
MERCER are content with the refined toolings
that sufFced for their historic predecessors; but
Cruel and Marius Michel who know perfectly
well the limitations Of the bookbiader's art are
not ashamed Of induIging n freely decorative
/ eXpedients Ruban gives US aimess arabesques
when we want formal Inventions and Magnin
offers designs which only be described as
floral horrors. one might as we'll elect for wall
paper improvisations of the Golden -Sanderson
school. and have done with it.
In the English section there is, upon this
ing. Stress is laid by almost all the exhibits
upon the solid merits of printing The oxford
University Press makes display that is not
on the surface at all startling, but that close
scrutiny shows to be in the highest degree
creditable English typography is demon
strated to be beautiful and clear, and it is
obvious that in the manufacture of their books
the English aim at dignity and durability.
They achieve their aim. That reproductive
!
is also made plain, AS yet the color work is, in
the main, inferior TO that of France, though w
Griggs has won a notable success in printing
fac-similes of ancient bindings, and great
things are expected by the Printing Arts Com
pany Of the color printing machine invented by
Ivan Orloff, government engineer at St
Petersburg. and controlled throughout the
world, with the exception Of Russia by the
company aforesaid This machine certainly
produces exceptional work 1t fixes colOrs on
the paper, not. after the other. but all at
once. In the Orof process the shrinkage OF
the paper that makes a perfect register SO
difficult Of achievement in ordinary color print
ing is entirely avoided. The machine not only
gives all the cOlors at one stroke but pre-
serves faultless register through indefinite
number Of impressions. That at all events is
what the promoters claim and the specimens
they put forth inspire belief in their state
ments. If the machine fulfls it's promise it
will enormously extend the use Of color print
ing in books ana magazines without lowering
the quality and with a considerable diminution
in the cost OF the work.
outside of France the Continent the pub
fishers are doing good work in one or TWO de-
partments, but are otherwise not particularly
progressive. Germany and Austria are perhaps
in the van. Reproductions in photogravure
after the old masters are finely made in Berlin;