The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-02-16
dAND 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 LetterO

6ookbinder.
New York letter.
Ever since the Middle Ages, when
patient monks tolled day after day
and year after year illuminating with
loving art the sacred text. there have
been book lovers who valued a bonI
not for it's object matter. but for its
artistic binding. The majority of
| Americans accustomed to poor tyne.
poorer paper and poorest binding
would think 1t great extravagance
to pay 500 or more TO have a favorite
volume rebound in 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 eyes.
The handsome book covers will never
become popular, because it is only the
wealthy man or Unsuitable book collec.
tor that would dream of paying hun.
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.
Book-bindlng offers a congenial &C.
cupation for women Of original ideas
and artistic tastes. II is not a craze
| fol fNa n
her own resources, for the field Is
necessarily limited and the returns
smaller, or, to speak properly, slow.
Until recently 1t was impossible for
q woman to master the art OF book.
binding in America. The greater mum.
Der 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.
hon Bindery In New York gives a
young woman every opportunity to &C.
Quire the secrets of the craft. This
school has been established by the
friends Of the late Evelyn Hunter
Nordhof, a pioneer among women In
the art, and whose untimely death
prevented her carrying out the plan
/ herself.
Miss Nordhoff was particularly
adapted for this line of work. She
understood ornamental leather work,
she was q good etcher on copper and
was not only clever designer, but a
cultured woman, with the breadth Of
understanding that much travel and
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
! oxtravagantly 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 a common cord, which forms
q hinge for the books to turn on. This
I Is called flexible sewing and is used
in other binderiss. mostly for bibles,
Jaw 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 Is
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
pillow and press.
The head-bandings, the bits Of
bright color at the top and bottom of
a 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 put
on at once.
One woman. Mrs. Henry w. Grim.
wood. being unable to obtain instruc.
ton in the ordinary 6inderies. studied
the whole subject out from j. w.
Zachnsdorfs Treatise on Practical
Bookbinding." She declared this to
be very comprehensive and compre-
hensive, as II ought to be, since he 10
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, Il Is said. She OBJ
tanned several prizes In an exhibition
some time ago, having entered her
work under the name OF Miss Mat.
thews, as she did not wish her rank
to influence the decision OF the judg.
es.
But after the mechanical details are
mastered, the real test remains that
must determine whether woman
shall receive recognition in this craft
or not. She must be original In her
designs and must have the discrimin.
ating taste which determines which
material, color or establishment Is
best suited to the subject treated Of
In the book.
A French novel or a volume OF mod
ern verse requires a very different
treatment and material than a volume
of Shakespeare or a copy OF the Bible.
The craft demands not only skilled
fingers. but artistic sympathy, and a
subtitle insight into the thoughts OF
he author who wrote the book.
Perhaps | should more definitely
state that the business is not one that
offers great reward for the self.sup
porting young woman. But as show.
Ing the widening circle OF women's
work, 1t is worth attention. And n
the young woman is especially quail
fed for 1t, artistically. physically, and.
Of course, practically, she might, after
having baen learned tha trade tt,r,