New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-03
AS TO B0oKBINDING.
Only Skilled Workmen Hay Hope for Sue
cess in This Craft.

Efficiency. thoroughress ana really profess
sioaal spirit must be the Tetchwords OF the
Nomsn's movement fn the matter OF true achieve
merit" says Ethel II. Al McKenna IN Some Arts
and Crafts Gz. p. DUtton * Co.. New-YoTk). The
Fourth IN the Wonlan's Library series. this vol
contains papers on furElture aid deco
ra.ions. wood carving. Photographic portraituTe as
profession, ana several others. all amply illus
t-sted. Among the authors represented are A. NJ
Give Bailey. Alice Hughes. Maria E. Reeks. Elinor
Halle Miss c Crommelln. etc.
In the article bookbindiug the writer insists
that FOR skilled labor OF any kind there Is gen
orally demand. The pltifGl mistake SO often
made IN the past by women lay In the fact that
their work was not OF this character. This mas
not been altogether womaa's fault Circumstances
have been against her. She has had uphill
struggle Even to-day. when men are beginning 10
recognize the necessity OF providing women with
professions and ooeupations whereby they hope
20 earn q livelihood, they ere sp. 20 make the ad
fnission IN helf-hearted way.
1T IS e ragTettable fact that woman cannot,
yet really compete With man. Even her own
particular plane OF domestic matters the man who
eompetes with her TOO often SURPRISES her Woman's
work OF past because OF It's ingrslned amateur
tshness has helped to iIsrease the dltcg!,ies %
In the present Is going TO have different effect on
,oDasv r. Tery aifferenty equipped from her fore
runners OF a previous generation. she knows the
her so-cslled emancipation had done nothing else
FOR her = wo9le b have prSyed Of me, me mSJ lnes
iafions with men and by ENGRAVING her with some
of the manly qualities and manly virtues. which
VIII 60 IL helping her forward In her struggle.
MAN is her employer. and generally her In
structor, and IN spite OF ever Increasing expert
ence, man, en- Enssse is inclined 10 believe that.
Whatever woman may have achieved IN othey
branches OF art science business. in the parcu>
lar one IN which he Is interested she must needs,
nevertheless. be failure. Hence booksellers have
regarded woman bookhinders with d!stTustful
eye. But the puhisc, innocent OF the supposed dis
advantages under which women are said 10 labor.
IN this as IN Oil other matters have looked upon
their work and seen that IL Was good and II IS IN
a large degree 70 this fact that women owe their
chance OF success. For, IN spite OF incredulous
bookseller. women bookhinders are surely making
their way and although, as profession, Il is as
yet followed only by comparatively small num-
Ter of women. It's Votsries have been steadily in
creasng since the formation of the Guild OF
The writer goes TO describe the formation and
development OF this guild IA London. and after
great deal Of detailed and valuable Information
10 the perfection or the various branches OF such
work she concludes:
and original bindings which every day
eoueht efter-s return 10 bygone appreciation, IA
abeyassce during the recent years of immense re-
duplication OF books-owe their existence mainly
TO demand for such work Or whether the supply
which concerned .s that the demand exists
and that II provides new opening for women OF
artistic instincts"