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Blissful Books and Bindings

The volumes in these cases were selected for their bindings. Although a few are in the original publishers' bindings, most were custom bound by the best artisans Europe had to offer, including Charles Meunier of Paris and Joseph Zaehnsdorf of London. They represent a wide variety of styles, and were bound using both traditional and unusual techniques and materials.

The individual binding descriptions are developed from notes prepared for Susan Dwight Bliss by a cataloger in her employ. A glossary of binding terms - most taken from John Carter's ABC for Book Collectors (1st edition, New York, Knopf, 1951).

 

The binders represented include:


Other bindings are:

bliss gusman
Detail of the front cover of
Pompei, la Ville--les Moeurs--les Arts by Pierre Gusman; bound by P. Ruban