International studio (35.1908)

National Society of Craftsmen

N

ATIONAL SOCIETY OF CRAFTS-
MEN NOTES

The recent Special Exhibition of
Book Bindings held in the rooms of the
National Society of Craftsmen is an evidence of the
popular growth of this Society. It is intended by
the committee in charge that many of the bindings
forming the nucleus of this collection shall remain
permanently in the rooms of the Society. It is
intended that this permanent exhibition shall be
representative of the best book-craft done through-
out the country.

Miss Freeman exhibits an attractive book of
Grolier design in gold and onlay. Miss Davis
shows a well-forwarded and finished binding of
chaste design, with conventional leaf form enrich-
ments for corners.

Miss Hall’s book, “Songs of a Wedding Day,”
was in crushed tan levant, the design being made
up of flowering stems and leaves, the antique tooling
used, with touches of green and red onlay.
Miss Helen Livingston Warren showed two very
attractive books, with delicate, lacelike designs.
One of Miss Warren’s books was decorated on the
inside only. This is a test that only the experienced
forwarder can stand.
Miss Adeline G. Wykes, a pupil of Miss Warren,
showed two Guest Books in green and brown levant,
both of which deserve special notice. Her small
volume of Michelangelo’s sonnets is particularly
well designed. It presents an attractive color
scheme of greens and turquoise blues. Miss Wykes
also exhibits a well conceived and executed binding
for a birthday book.
Miss Mary and Mr. Harvey Chatfield are well
represented. Miss Chatfield’s charming little vol-
ume in tan calf, gold tooled, with touches of color,
should be mentioned. There is good tooling in Mr.
Chatfield’s books—notably in “Peggy, Her Book,”
which has an appropriate border of conventional-
ized roses and leaves.
Dr. Morris Lee King showed a group of finely fin-
ished bindings. Dr. King is an amateur who works
simply for his own pleasure, with remarkable re-
sults.
Miss Fanny Dudley shows a well-bound book in
green levant, of pleasing design, Miss Pomeroy two
books in which a somewhat naturalistic treatment
of grapes and leaves is employed.


BINDING IN
EMBROIDERY
AND SILVER

BY ELLEN
GATES
STARR

Miss Ellen Gates Starr, of Hull House, Chicago,
a former pupil of Cobden Sanderson, exhibits a
beautiful binding of the “Shepherd’s Calendar,”
from the Kelmscott Press. Miss Starr also exhibits
an unusual binding in embroidery and wrought
silver.
Miss Diehl’s large binding for a Bible, made in
leather with oak boards, shows a masterly spirit in
the assimilation of materials controlled by good
design.
Miss Stiles, of Chicago, and Mr. Otto Zahn, of
Memphis, Tenn., both exhibit serious works, as
does also Miss Elizabeth Marot, of Philadelphia.
The Loan Collection of works by foreign binders
was loaned by Mrs. William A. Taylor. It included
bindings by De Cuzin, Riviere, Miss Prideau, of
London, Zanesdorf, also of London.
One example was shown of the Club Bindery, of
New York, which employs an imported force of
workers.
An interesting group of hand-printed books was
shown, including “Paradise Regained,” from the
Ashendene Press, of London; “Paradise Lost,”
from the Dove Press, London. Also works from
Vale Press and Essex House Press.
Reference should be made to a fine collection of
book plates and illuminations, which formed a part
of this exhibition. This included the vigorous,
well-designed work of Miss McEwen, of Detroit, the
engraved book-plates by Messrs. McDonald and
Chamberlin, as well as some thirteen plates de-
signed by the Eatons of Brooklyn.

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