The Book and the Binding
It was not until the emergence of the artist book in the 20th century that book bindings—a book’s front and back covers and spine—came to be appreciated as more than merely protective or decorative. In the early 1900s, any deluxe artist book—with original print illustrations by a well-known artist, printed on fine papers, and issued unbound in limited quantity—fairly cried out for a creative binding.

Paul Bonet, binding design for the book Nuits de Paris, by Francis Carco (Paris: Au Sans Pareil, 1927), 1927. Onlays of leather with gold tooling. FAMSF, gift of Earl M. Collier Jr. in honor of Ann and Bill Anderson



















