Studio: international art (2.1894)

The Printed Book and its Decoration

of modern publishers. It must be confessed that that, good bibliophile as he is, he appreciates the

many a cut, pleasant enough on the soft rough true passion for collecting without any maudlin

paper of its original, looks crude and out of place sentimentality. That the Quays of Paris offer a

on a smooth texture. So, too, beside the exact subject most attractive to bookmen goes without

mechanical precision of the page of type in this saying, and despite the

book—excellent as it is—the old woodcuts look French way of rambling

unkempt and disordered; but the fertility of inven- round the subject, with

tion they display, their superb decorative employ- strings of anecdotes that

ment of black and white, and their often admirable suggest the lamp, it is a

composition, are lessons to designers in the same delightful book, well

or kindred fields to-day. translated.

The couple of hundred illustrations are repro- Indeed, while most of

duced from the others in this desul-

examples of tory notice could only

English, be read from cover to

French, Ger- cover by those techni-

man, Swiss, cally interested, The

Spanish, Book-Hunter in Paris

Italian, would keep the average

Dutch and reader thoroughly

FORjWISDOMISBETTER
THANfOIBIESANDALL
TH E THINCSTH AT MAY
BE-DESIRED-ARE-NOT-TO

Flemish on- amused. It is a very 'P- -

ginals, and worthy addition to a designed by c. m. gere.

(although peculiarly limited ("English book-plates." bell

two thou- group, and deserves to

sand would become a standard volume indispensable to all

not exhaust true bookmen. Two of the charming illustrations

known varie- we are permitted to reproduce, which appear on page

ties) may 144, may serve to indicate the merit of the rest,

safely be Here, too, we may fitly notice one chapter of a

taken as re- sumptuous folio, Some Minor Arts as Practised in

presenting England,* which deals with bookbinding. The

fairly well- colour reproductions by Mr. W. Griggs seem the

nigh every veritable covers themselves and no mimicked
type, includ-
ing a few
unique spe-
cimens. The

designed by e. h. new. ("english modem de-

book-plates." bell) vices show

that the cus-
tom is being revived, but since printer and pub-
lisher are no longer one as a rule, it is the latter
in most cases who proclaims himself to-day. The
subjects for the most part are full of symbolism ;
and even the punning allusions—sometimes very far-
fetched conceits—are in harmony with the present
taste. The Chiswick Press has evidently done
its best to make the book worthy of its theme.
Air. Roberts' plan is simple, his style to the point,
and his intimate knowledge of old printers and their
ways has turned a mere catalogue to a very read-
able sketch of the greater subject—the history of
the book itself. It is a book that appeals to a great
many beside the book-collector or the antiquary.

Another book that appeals to the book-lover
perhaps more deeply than even the three already
noticed, is an English version of Octave Uzanne's
book on the Quays of Paris, now entitled The
Book-Hunter in Paris* which Mr. Elliot Stock has
just issued. Mr. Augustine Birrell prefaces it presentation. It is very interesting to see what
with one of his practical, humorous and sympathetic England has done in her own way in this most
essays. When he says, " almost as much nonsense artistic of all the crafts. There is a domestic
has been written about books as in them," you feel sumptuous quality about the best English bindings,

* The Spok-Hunter in Paris, 144 Illustrations. Elliot * Some Minor Arts, &c. Illustrated. Folio. (London:
Stock. 21s. Seeley & Co.) 21s.

142

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designed by oliver brackett