New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-15
FRENCH BOOKBINDING.
AN EXHIBITION or MODERN WORK N
PARIS.
MASTERS OF TO-DAY AT THE GALLIERA
MUSEUM SOMETHING ABOUT THE AN
GENT GUILD WHICH THEY
REPRESENT.
REPRESENT.

Gently opened at the Galliera Museum. in the
Avenue du Trocadero, is one Of the most inter
estfng held in Paris for many years. 1t was
ORGANIZED under the auspices Of the Municipal
Council Of the city of Paris by NJ Formenton,
Conservation of the GaIliera Museum, by M
Quentin Rauchart. and by NJ. H. Btraldi whose
work in four volumes devoted to bookbndinS
of the nineteenth century is accepted as a
classic.
The Paris bookbinders form a somewhat close
CORPORATION. They dwell in the quaint quarter
known as the parish of Saint Andre des Arts
In olden times they held their chapters IN the
chapel of Saint Andre. which no longer exists
In 1917 the young King Louis NV, visited the
church and distributed consecrated bread to the
masters and companions of the guild. Twenty
wears ago it would have been difficult to find
a single bookbinder living outside the ancient
limits of the parish. and even now almost all
the members of the corporation live in the pct
uresque spot, less than half an acre IN area
futersected with narrow streets. that are dark
ened by old houses with small, square windows
and whose musty walls are far out Of the
plumb line. 1t is interesting to note that the
masters of the corporation to-day, Messrs. Mer-
cier president of the syndicate: Marus Michel
Cruel Canape. CuZin, Duvand. Petrus Ruban
and Carayon. are lineal descendants of men VINO
were Appended in the guild in the sixteenth
or seventeenth century. The traditions OF the |
BOOkblnGerS
cradle than those of the French Academy, or of
the Theatre Francois. which date from Cardinal
RicheIieu and Louis NV, for the unwrltten |
laws and customs of the guild come down from
the masters and companions who exercised their
industry in the days of Francis himself |
lover of books and bindings-when Groer' his
military treasurer and Governor of Milan, placed
the French school of binding at the head of the
art in Europe
IN in he Museum
cIusiyeIv composed of modern bindings. but
comparison shows that the members Of the craft
to-day derive their inspirations from the chaste
and elegant bindings done for Grolier, for Diane |
de Poiers and her royal lover Henri ii. Each |
exhibitor has a large glass in which are |
placed in suitable positions a dozen or more |
specimens. NJ. Marius Michel. the author of
'.Releur FRANCHISE Artistique," standard work
on the subject, exhibits number Of large books |
such as "Fleurs de Montmartre," "Poemes |
Parisens' ''Paysages Parisiens' and Guy de !
Maupassant's 'BouIe de Stuff" in which the mo- |
tives of the subject matter skiifulIy and ar |
tsticaIly developed in the binding of olive, brown
or russet morocco. covered with flowers and /
plants of the French fora in delicate pale green. |
pink. mauve. copper and red. In every instance
the subject matter OF the work supplies the mo-
tive of the binding. Take Voltaire's "Zadig," !
for instance a work which figures in the exhi- |
biton in three different bindings. NJ Emile
MERCER has treated it in dark green shagreen, !
or goatskin interlaced with a rich dead gold !
Persian arabesque pattern NJ. Carayon, on the |
other hand. has used white morocco inlaid with |
the finest and most delicate tracery OF gold, red |
and green, copied from Persian architectural de !
signs of the sixteenth century NJ. Gortic has /
clad his ''Zadig" in somhre brown morocco. with .
interviewer designs in blue and lime yellow.
The twenty-four works seen in the exhibit OF
NJ Emile Mercier remarkable for exquisite /
taste and delicacy OF coloring. Theuriet's Jar /
din d'Automne' is bound in cream morocco. with /
deeply inlaid chiselled brown autumnaI leaves /
The designs the insdes OF the covers OF /
the most elaborate inIaid treliis work in white /
and brown. BaIzac's "Contes DrOlatiques" is /
bound in goatskin finely chiselled and polished /
to enamel surface, upon which is worked 10y /
hand the most delicate tracery in brown. blue. |
red and orange. \ beautiful specimen Of green |
and dead gold is found in the binding of lie /
Bibliomane" by Charles NOdier. one of the |
most admired specimens of luxurious binding is |
that OF "LInsecte." by Michelet, which figures /
in the case Of NJ. Cruel The covers are Of /
feavy thick morocco of dark olive green. inlad |
with a most elaborate tracery Of Cobwebs in /
the centre Of which is a spider in dead gold .
Around the borders all Imaginable insects |
beetles. ants, ladybugs, flies, wasps. butter I
flies mites and mosquitoes The severe dignity /
with which NJ. Cruel has bound Tissot's Vie de /
Jesus" in dead white morocco is very impress