The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding

by J.A. Szirmai

In the past, studies of the history of bookbinding were mainly concerned with the exterior decoration. This book focuses attention primarily on the physical aspects of the binding and its construction principles. It is an expanded version of a series of lectures delivered by the author while Visiting Professor at the University of Amsterdam in 1987, supplemented with the results of ten years of intensive research in major libraries on the Continent, the United Kingdom and the USA. It surveys the evolution of binding structures from the introduction of the codex two thousand years ago to the close of the Middle Ages. Part I reviews the scanty physical evidence from the Mediterranean heritage, the early Coptic, Islamic and Ethiopian binding structures and their interrelation with those of the Byzantine realm. Part II is devoted to a detailed analysis of Western binding techniques, distinguishing the carolingian, romanesque and gothic wooden-board bindings as the main typological entities; their structure and function is compared with those of contemporary limp bindings. The book is illustrated with over 200 drawings and photographs and contains a comprehensive bibliography.

Genres: Books About Books, Nonfiction, History

368 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1999

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've only read photocopied selections from this book. If you're a wealthy industrialist and would like to support my bookbinding education, please feel free to purchase a copy for me.

[CR Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

blasted thing costs 200 bucks. Thank You, Interlibrary Loan.

[Adrianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the indispensable book I've been looking for, it has history, diagrams, and practical applications on historic book styles.

I agree with excerpts from two of my favorite reviews of this book "blasted thing costs 200 bucks. Thank You, Interlibrary Loan." and "If you're a wealthy industrialist and would like to support my bookbinding education, please feel free to purchase a copy for me."

[Lulu]

Also: Binding and the archeology of the medieval and Renaissance book by sandra hindman

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book for any bookbinder/conservator to add to their collection if you have the means to afford it. I don't, hence the 4 stars instead of 5. Szirmai is a great reference of historical binding characteristics in enough detail that I was able to construct a Romanesque-style binding from scratch based solely on the information and diagrams from this book. If you can't buy your own, this is definitely worth your time to track down at the local library.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

really interesting but a bit redundant at times. the illustrations are good.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Selected chapters