The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-01-19
HAND BOOK BINDING
WOMEN WHO MAKE A SUCCESS
OF 1T.
A School In New York Where II Is
Taught-The Price of Most Artistic
Work-The Princess Of Wales a
Bookbinder.
(New York Letter.)

Bookbinder.
(New York Letter)
Ever since the Middle Ages. when
patient monks toiled day after day
and year after year Illuminating with
loving art the sacred text, there have
been book lovers who valued a book
not for its object matter. but for it's
artistic binding. The majority of
Americans accustomed TO poor type.
poorer paper and poorest binding
would think II great extrayagance
to pay 800 or more TO have favorite
volume rebound in a fashion worthy
of the nobe thoughts expressed.
To the inexperienced eye the hand
made fooled book covers do not look
very different from the cheap stamped
patterns of the bargain counters. But
the book lover cannot be deceived. He
holds the volume tenderly and looks
for the distinguished mark of this or
that master with eager loving ewes.
The handsome book covers will never
become popular because il is only the
wealthy man or Unsuitable book collec-
tor that would dream of paying hum
dreds of dollars for a book But as
money is no object to the wealthy
book lover, so in many cases money
Is no object to the men and women
who do the binding They are gov
erned by the same impulse that rules
a painter or sculptor, the ideal striv-
ing to make itself palpable.
Bookbinding offers a congenial oc-
cupation for women of original ideas
and artistic tastes. 1t is not a craze
suitable for woman dependent upon
her own resources, for the field Is
necessarily limited and the returns
smaller, or, to speak properly, slow.
Until recently it was impossible for
woman to master the art of book
binding In America. The greater num-
ber of women whose work is in de-
mand received their instruction
abroad, principally at the famous
Dove bindery in London, founded by
Cobden-Sandenson In the ordinary
shops women are only allowed to
stitch the leaves. But now the Nord-
hoff Bindery in New York gives a
young woman every opportunity to ac-
quire the secrets of the craft. This
school has been established by the
friends of the late Evelyn Hunter
Nordhoff, pioneer among women in
the art, and whose untimely death
prevented her carrying out the plan
herself.
Miss Nordhof was particularly
adapted for this line of work. She
understood ornamental leather work,
she was a good etcher on copper and
was not only clever designer, but a
cultured woman. with the breadth of
Il tnp p1f I'M hat k,.o.
diversified associations invariably
bring.
Bookbinding necessitates close ap.
plication and considerable outlay. The
first cost of learning Is great, and the
tools and materials employed are very
expensive. The beautiful feathers are
extravagantly high. and many have to
be especially imported for the pur-
pose
In binding book by hand the first
step is to take the leaves in sections
and sew them in the back. All are
sewn on common cord, which forms
a hinge for the books to turn on. This
is called flexible sewing and is used
in other binderies, mostly for bibles,
law books, dictionaries and other
heavy books that are to be frequently
used.
Then the back is glued. But in the
Nordhoff Bindery very little glue Ia
used, the sewing being depended upon
for strength in holding the leaves in
place.
The book is now ready for the GOV.
ers, and the edges are made even and
smooth by what are known as the
plow and press
The head-bandings, the bits of
bright color at the top and bottom Of
volume, can be made by embroidery
silk, woven In and out with three
needles.
The lettering is the finishing touch.
The title may be put on in single-han.
die letters, which in England is always
done, or the type is set up all on one
palette and the whole name is nut
on at once.
One woman Mrs. Henry w. Grim.
wood, being unable to obtain instruc-
tion in the ordinary binderies, studied
the whole subject out from J. w.
Zachnsdorfs Treatise on Practical
Bookbinding." She declared this to
be very comprehensive and compre-
hensive, as 1t ought to be, since he is
one Of the masters of the handicraft.
Many women In England have taken
up bookbinding The Guild of Woman
Binders has sixty members, and in.
cluded several women whose names
have become well known as artists
In the bookbinding. The Princess vic
toria of Wales is an enthusiastic
bookbinder and has done some very
creditable work, 1t Is said. She 81.
tanned several prizes In an exhibition
some time ago, having entered her
work under the name of Miss Mar.
thews, as she did not wish her rank
to influence the decision Of the judq-
es
But after the mechanical details are
mastered, the real test remains thaf
must determine whethelw q women
snail receive recognitio6fin thir n,ogS
or not. She must be original in har'
designs and must<kave the discrimin.
ating taste which determines whici,
material color or emhelI4ahmant ,~
pest suited to the subject treated ~
In the book. S'.sou =.
A French novel or volume Of ma
Rrn verse requlres.aa very diapnr6,sS,
treatment and mat Eial than q vol,,,,,c
OF Shakespeare OIL copys6f 4be 7&,,f~
The craft sdemalis hot on,v 1l..', s. I.
fingers, but artistic sympathy AZ. 4 4.
subtitle insight into the f66,..,. <z .'<
lhe author who wrote m. ~ Y.
remaps = should n Ee dAdzIta'4
state That the businRss Ii n0t o4 81 + '<
onerse great reward tor tie &[ q.
porting young >uoUe1 n4f .' z.'
,ns ms, tPe WIQsping o|Zc|6 of 4sl