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Harleian Border:
Montague Style; Harleian Style; Aldine Style
A
MANUAL
OF THE
ART OF BOOKBINDING:
CONTAINING
FULL INSTRUCTIONS IN THE DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF
FORWARDING, GILDING, AND FINISHING.
ALSO,
The Art of Marbling Book-Edges and Paper.
THE WHOLE DESIGNED FOR
THE PRACTICAL WORKMAN, THE AMATEUR, AND THE
BOOK-COLLECTOR.
BY
JAMES B. NICHOLSON.
PHILADELPHIA:
HENRY CAREY BAIRD & CO.,
INDUSTRIAL PUBLISHERS, BOOKSELLERS AND IMPORTERS,
810 Walnut Street.
1878.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, by
JAS. B. NICHOLSON,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the
Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
STEREOTYPED BY L. JOHNSON & CO.
PHILADELPHIA.
PREFACE.
The progress of the Art of Bookbindinghas made nearly all the works written uponthe subject obsolete; their descriptions nolonger apply to the methods practised by thebest workmen. Throughout this work, theopinions and remarks of other writers havebeen adopted without alteration, unless theycame in contact with practical knowledge.Every thing that would not bear that testhas been rejected, and in lieu thereof thosemodes of operation described that the youngbinder will have to learn and practise if he desiresto emulate the skill of the best artists.
The plan of the work is taken from"Arnett's Bibliopegia;" and every thinggiven in that work that has any approachto utility will be found in these pages. Itwas at first intended merely to revise thatproduction; but during the progress of revisionso much was rejected that it was[pg 6]deemed better to pass under notice at thesame time the labours of others. "Cundall'sOrnamental Art" has furnished theearly incidents in the "Sketch of the Progressof the Art of Bookbinding;" and, asthe best authority upon the subject, "Woolnough'sArt of Marbling" has been adaptedto this country. Mr. Leighton's "Suggestionsin Design" has been laid under contributionin order to enrich the subject ofOrnamental Art. The "London FriendlyFinishers' Circulars" have been a valuableacquisition to the writer, and it is trustedwill make this work equally so to the youngfinisher. "Cowie's Bookbinders' Manual,""Arnett's School of Design," "Gibb's Ha