Bone Folder Design Prototypes

While waiting for the Boss Dog Press to complete the printing of the fine press edition of my translation of Ernst Collin's Der Pressbengel (as The Bone Folder), I decided to experiment with some design ideas on the sheets I offer for download. While the format of these is 8.5" x 11" folded in half, the fine press edition will have a trim size of 9" x 12."

N.b. The Boss Dog's printing is almost complete, and will have been more than worth the wait. Like a fine wine or beer.

Binding 1, Dorfner/de Gonet style:

The design is a play on the question and answer dialog of the text. Sewing supports are vellum back with pared leather to give a more 3-dimension effect. Leather on spine is natural Niger leather and on boards is Harmatan with chagrin for the low relief onlays.

Top edge in graphite with hand sewn endbands. The image also shows the open joint structure of the Dorfner/de Gonet style

Collaged doublures and flyleaves with dilute colored paste washes. Base of the collage is Collin's original text in German, with onlays from articles and books on topics referenced in the book that were written by Collin.
I was inspired to try this by some of the work of Mark Cockram, but mine pale in comparison... Still, I think they work here.

Binding 2, Danish millimeter style:

The Danish millimeter is best described in English by John Hyltoft who presented on it at the Guild of Book Workers 1995 Standards conference.

Spine covered in salmon parchment with pastepaper boards, invisible salmon parchment corners.

I describe making the salmon parchment here. It was very nice to work with and I still have lots...

Pastepaper doublures and flyleaves that continue the dark to light progression from the cover.
Top edge in graphite with endbands of pastepaper wrapped around a thread core.

Detail of salmon parchment and pastepaper at spine.

If anyone who downloaded the sheets would like to share their binding, send me an email using the "contact" link at top right. I'd love see and perhaps even share...

W. Collin Einband zu Goethes Clavigo

Anfang August, beim Stöbern bei ABE, fand ich einen Hinweis zu noch einem W. Collin Einband an Clavigo, dieses mal mit dem Druckdatum von 1918.

At the beginning of August, while browsing at ABE, I found a listing for another W. Collin binding on Clavigo, this time with a publication date of 1918.

Clavigo. Ein Trauerspiel. München Verlag der Marées-Gesellschaft (R Piper & Co), 1918.

5 Bll., gest. Titel (von E. R. Weiß), 132 Seiten, Gr8° (23,4 x 17,6 cm), handgeb. Ganzpergamentbd. (sign. W. Collin Berlin) mit prunkvoller Ganzdeckel-Vergold., vergold. Innenfileten, Kopfgoldschnitt und olivgrünen Seidenmoiree-Vorsätzen. Die farbigen Illustrationen sind handkolorierte Wiedergaben von Emil Wöllner nach Aquarellen von Götz Freiherr von Seckendorf, der im August 1914 im Krieg gefallen war. Erschienen als 1. Druck der Marées-Gesellschaft in einer Auflage von 150 (insgesamt 200) nummerierten Exemplaren auf Bütten. Dies ist die Nummer 47. - Sehr gut erhaltenes Exemplar in einem bibliophilen und signierten Meistereinband, der verzierte Original-Umschlag mit eingebunden.

Hatte damals den Antiquar angeschrieben der freundlicherweise Bilder teilte, aber mich auch mitteilte, daß der Einband vergiffen war. Pech gehabt... War aber nicht so, und nach ca. 5~6 Wochen erhielt ich ein Email mit der Frage ob ich noch dran interessiert wäre? Ein klares Ja, und ca. eine Woche später traf das Buch ein. Unten ein Bilderbericht.

Had written to the antiquarian at the time who generously shared pictures, but also let me know that it had been recently sold. Turned out not to be the case as I learned through an email 5~6 weeks later in which he asked if I was still interested. Of course I was, and about a week later the book arrived here... Below an illustrated report.

Decken Aussenseite mit Vergoldung auf Pergament.
Exterior of the case with gold tooling on the cover.

Spiegel aus Seide mit Vergoldung auf den Einschlägen.
Silk doublures with gold tooling on the turn-ins.

Ecken Vergoldung.
Corner tooling.

Die Decke wurden nicht am Falz abegesetzt sondern wie beim Franzband behandelt.
There is no groove on the case, rather it was treated as if a tight-jointed leather extra binding.

Der Einschlag vom Pergament ist unter der Hülse, Zeichen eines Deckenbands.
The turn-ins are under the hollow, the sign of a cased binding.

W. Collin Signatur(e)

Erste Titelblatt von Emil Rudolf Weiß.
First title page by Emil Rudolf Weiß.

Zweites Titelblatt von Emil Wöllner nach Goetz Freiherr von Seckendorff.
Second title page by Emil Wöllner after Goetz Freiherr von Seckendorff.

Zelf Boekbinden, 1934

Recently acquired a charming new binding manual for bibliophilic amateurs, Zelf Boekbinden by Elisabeth Menalda. The book was published in Amsterdam (NL) in 1934 and includes an overview of the basic tools and equipment; preparations and sewing; forwarding; completing a quarter of full cloth/paper in-boards binding.

Zelf Boekbinden by Elisabeth Menalda, Amsterdam, 1934.

Author's introduction.

The bookbinder backing a book.

Conceptually similar in scope and audience is
Ernst Collin's Buchbinderei für den Hausbedarf
reprinted and republished in several editions between 1915 and 1933.

I think the two images above go together nicely