New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-01
IMPORTED BooKBINDINGs ON VIEW.
Twelfth Annual Exhibition at Bonaventure's
Galleries in West Thirty-third-st

At Bonaventures Galleries. No West Thirty
third-st there is being held this week the twelfth
annual exhibition Of artistic bOokbinding In thu
two rooms is a large collection OF imported bind
ings. showing every period OF the art ancient and
modern. The rich mOsaics. fan designs and leaf
figures wrought with infinite pains and skin
the costly leather. represent French art in this
direction Some OF these bindings required -FOUR
years for completion, and are worth hundreds %
dollars There are no duplicates. Each unit OF the
design is done separately BY a hand process.
The principle OF the French binders that each
book should be finished in design belonging to
the period CT which the subject treats IS exempli-
fed BY the bindings on exhibition. There are the
geometrical hgurings and embossed fishes Of the
period Of Francois II. the oval wreaths OF Mar
guerite de Vaois and designs centred BY the royal
arms OF Louis XIV. Nine de PompaGour Marie
Antoinette and Napoleon.
One is Illustrated edition OF Les Saints
EvangIes' published by Hachette. IN 1915. in two
folio volumes. The work was done BY the elder
Lorttc- The exterior OF the book is composed OF
crimson. crushed leyant. blind fooled with Gothic
design OF circular compartments. inclosing Iozengs
shaped ornaments. fooled with heraIdic lions. Tho
doublure IS Of turquoise blue levant with elaborate
corner and centre compartments OF red levant rich
iy ornamented with INTERVENING leafy sprays in
closing birds and butterflies The whole ground
OF the dOUbure is thickly studded with tiny stars
and lilies At each corner. in mosaic. are the en-
blems Of the four evngests, and in the centre ara
the sacred initials l. H. S. The fly leaves are OF
-
richly uarbIed and gilt. LOrtic declares
that this is the finest binding in existence today
The younger LOrtic's work is shown IN Les Fo-
manesques." by Edmond ROstand Illustrated with
The binding is in purple Ievant inIaid with mosaic
eighteenth century "CiraVelOt'' framework design.
formed by nlletS OF rose, turquoise and faWn le-
want The compartments are fooled with Cupid's
BOWS and arrows torches and similar eIuhlem7
The inside OF the book is eulbellished with a dOu-
blure OF red levant. and the ~ leaves are OF old
lowered silk OF this work. only ten copies were
printed. two OF which were reserved for Roscand.
the author. and COtiU the actor
Another book OF the Canevart Library. dates back
70 1870 and is stil in perfect state OF preserva-
ton II is Paula OrosiO TradottO al ZabinO in
NOlagre Per CfuerInt da LanciZa-' and Is valued ar
S775. II is bound in fine old brown morocco riChIv
gilt. and having each cover the famous medal
lion OF the Canevart Library, representing Apollo
IN his chariot ascending Mount Parnas5us The
device Is surrounded by a Greek motto
Many popular English and American authors ara
represented One costly binding is that OF 2 col
lection OF engraved portraits OF the Presidents %
the United states, with their autographs. The
work IS IN grained crimson morocco. the sides and
back insid with an interlaCilg geOmetricaI design
OF blue levsnt with gold borders and the American
eaglG IN gold centre ornaments The doUburs
ments. with the eagle and thirteen stars at each
corner The fly leaves are OF crimson silk with
laurel wreath borders. The portraits within ara
mostly folio size, and contemporary In date.
There are few exhibits OF American bindings
also. THE Americans" declared n Fso0aVen-
ture. have neither the tools the skin vss
TO equal the work done IN France"