Evening star., 1941-02-09

Like Jefferson, who was the archl-
tect of the library at the University
of Virginia, Mr.. Roosevelt planned
and designed the library on his es-
tate. jefferson followed the classic
style of architecture, while the Pres
ident, in keeping with the architec-
ture and tradition of his Dutch an
cestors, used Dutch design.
Always on the lookout for rare
editions and beautiful bindings, Mr..
V. Valta Parma, former curator of
the Rare Book Division of the Ii
brary of Congress and now editorial
consultant of the Encyclopedia
Americana, when browsing around
in a small storeroom where the ar
ChiveS of the GrOlier Society are
kept, came across the Book Of
knowledge" and was entranced
with its exquisite artistry and work.
manShip.
The books, which cost 5000 VOL
ume, are bound in cobalt blue cape
levant morocco with leather joints,
cream watered silk doublures and
fly leaves. the edges cut smooth,
hand designed. then pure gold leaf
hand painted and gauffered, each
binding elaborately decorated with
different symbolic inlays. The de-
sign decorating both covers of the
books is geometric in character and
is composed of inlaid floral corner
pieces connected with interlaced
bands, and each cover contains
different symbolic Centerpiece and
devices in each of the four corners.
There are over 1000 separate pieces
of inlaid leather used in the decora-
ton of the binding of these 20 VOL
umeS.
Mr.. Parma knew that in 1926
SangOrSki and Sutcliffe had been
commissioned by a collector of
American juvenilia to bind the
"Child's Book of Knowledge" in
the most beautiful binding that
could be made regardless of ex-
pense, with the simple proviso that
the bindings should consist of motifs
indicative of the contents of the
volume.
As he looked at the motto. 10
GrOlierii ct AMIGO" which was on
most of the art bindings in Grolier'S
famous collection. Mr.. Parma said
1t suddenly came to him that it
would be shameful to shut up those
wonderful bindings in a private Ii
brary, and how charming it would
be for some of President Roosevelt's
friends to give them to the Hyde
Park Library where they would en-
hance his collection of early Ameri-
can children's books. and where they
could be enjoyed by the public gen.
orally.
He spoke of the plan to Mr.. Will
liam Bu,litt Secretary of Navy
Knox, Mr.. Sumner Welles, Mr. Jesse
Jones and others and found them
enthusiastic over the idea. These,
with other friends. were asked to
present a volume. and the PreSi-
dents six executive assistants, who
glory in anonymity. asked to give
volume ", Great Teachers of the
Aces"
Senator Wa9ner gave the volume
on famous statesmen in the worlds
historv, the prominent feature of
the cover being a gildod mace, SYM
tOl of authority and around it the
great lawgivers from Aristotle down
to Washington.
Col. Knox chose 'Navigators and
Explorers" volume V, with which
he is said to have been intrigued.
Mr.. WelleS and Vice President WAL
lace chose literature of the ages,
and Mr.. Frederic Delano the one
about the great teachers of the
world, from Christ down through
the centuries. This volume was one
of the loveliest, with a miniature
of Christ and several of the apostles
on the front cover and on the back
the four evangeliStS and a sacred
emblem as a centerpiece. Space is
too short to describe all of those
uniquely beautiful books. and the
delightful spontaneity of the donors. /