College and Research Libraries a g e " ) ; b u t m o s t u n d e r g r a d u a t e s w i l l be e i t h e r repelled o r c o n f u s e d by t h e u n e v e n e m p h a s e s of this book. T h i s is n o t to say t h a t P r o f e s s o r M u e l l e r m a k e s n o u s e f u l c o m m e n t s on his chosen a u - t h o r s . M a n y a p a r a g r a p h r e p r e s e n t s an in- t e r e s t i n g and s t i m u l a t i n g point of v i e w . B u t too m a n y of t h e m seem to m e t o be obvious t r u i s m s , cloudy g e n e r a l i z a t i o n s , o r f o r c e d and u n t e n a b l e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s o r a s s e r t i o n s . " T r o y e v e r l a s t i n g l y s t a n d s f o r e n d a n g e r e d h o m e l a n d s . H o m e r ' s poetic h u m a n i t y be- s t o w s e q u a l s y m p a t h y on f r i e n d s and f o e s . " ( p . 8 ) ; " T h e R e n a i s s a n c e t h r o w s itself w i t h a m y s t i c ecstasy to t h e bosom of n a t u r e . " ( p . 125) ; " T h e concept of t r a g e d y is an u n p l e a s - a n t a e s t h e t i c concept, b e c a u s e it defies ex- p l a n a t i o n . " ( p . 1 1 6 ) . T h e s e a r e a v e r a g e s a m p l e s of t h e t h r e e types. F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e t r e a t m e n t is t o o slight a n d e c c e n t r i c to s a t i s f y t h e s t u d e n t of any one of these a u t h o r s . T h e sixth c h a p t e r , on H a m l e t , E r a s m u s , M o n t a i g n e , a n d R a b e l a i s as i l l u s t r a t i o n s of t h e R e n a i s s a n c e , a l l o t s t h r e e brief p a g e s to a p e r f u n c t o r y s u m m a r y of t w o c o n v e n t i o n a l a t t i t u d e s t o w a r d H a m - l e t ; f o u r p a g e s to t h e a u t h o r ' s h u r r i e d ex- position of his o w n belief t h a t t h e play in- cludes H a m l e t ' s n o r m a t i v e t e n d e n c y t o p u r i f y o r c o r r e c t " t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e o b s t r e p e r o u s and o b s t r u c t i v e blindness of i r r a t i o n a l n a t u r e " ; and t w o p a r a g r a p h s to t h e o t h e r t h r e e a u - t h o r s . T h e style is s o m e w h a t a w k w a r d a t times, possibly f r o m t h e t r a n s l a t i o n of p h r a s e s first conceived in G e r m a n . T h e v o l u m e ; t h o u g h a t t r a c t i v e , is carelessly p r i n t e d , o r p r o o f e d , so t h a t t h e r e a r e t o o m a n y a n n o y i n g s m a l l e r r o r s . —Allen T. Hazen, School of Library Service, Columbia University. Fore'Edge Paintings A Thousand and One Fore-Edge Paintings, with Notes on the Artists, Bookbinders, Publishers and other Men and Women Connected with the History of a Curious Art. By C a r l J . W e b e r . W a t e r v i l l e , C o l b y C o l l e g e P r e s s , 1949. ( C o l b y C o l l e g e m o n o g r a p h no. 1 6 ) . xvi, 194P. $7.50. H e r e is t h e first book t o be published on f o r e - e d g e p a i n t i n g s , a l t h o u g h t h e " c u r i o u s a r t " itself is n o t n e w . B o r n in t h e seven- t e e n t h c e n t u r y , it g r e w s t r o n g in t h e e i g h t - eenth, r e a c h e d its h e i g h t e a r l y in t h e n i n e t e e n t h a n d l i n g e r s on, m a i n l y as a hobby, even t o d a y . A n E n g l i s h invention, and p r a c - ticed m o s t extensively and s u c c e s s f u l l y in E n g l a n d , one w o n d e r s w h y t h e b o o k - m i n d e d B r i t i s h h a v e neglected t o tell t h e w o r l d a b o u t such a f a s c i n a t i n g aspect of b o o k m a k i n g . W e c a n be g r a t e f u l to P r o f e s s o r W e b e r f o r filling this g a p w i t h a d e l i g h t f u l a c c o u n t t h a t is a p l e a s i n g m i x t u r e of a b o u t t h r e e p a r t s l i t e r a r y l o r e w i t h one p a r t book history, t h u s reflect- ing his d u a l p o s i t i o n — p r o f e s s o r of E n g l i s h l i t e r a t u r e and c u r a t o r of r a r e books a n d m a n u s c r i p t s in C o l b y C o l l e g e . P r o f e s s o r W e b e r ' s s t u d y is based on ex- a m i n a t i o n of h u n d r e d s of v o l u m e s w h o s e edges b e a r p a i n t i n g s . H i s c u r i o s i t y w a s a r o u s e d by t h e f e w e x a m p l e s of t h e a r t in t h e C o l b y C o l l e g e L i b r a r y , and by t h e d e a r t h of l i t e r a t u r e on t h e s u b j e c t . H e f o u n d t h e l a r g e s t single collection of all in t h e v o l u m e s a s s e m b l e d by M r s . E d w a r d L . D o h e n y in t h e D o h e n y M e m o r i a l L i b r a r y a t St. J o h n ' s S e m i n a r y in C a l i f o r n i a . T h e " T h o u s a n d and O n e " of t h e b o o k ' s t i t l e r e f e r s t o t h e n u m b e r of f o r e - e d g e p a i n t i n g s listed in an a p p e n d i x . T h e s e a r e located in m o r e t h a n 50 collections, p u b l i c and p r i v a t e . T h e a u t h o r , in e x p l a i n i n g his s u b j e c t , says t h a t m a n y people do n o t k n o w w h a t f o r e - e d g e p a i n t i n g s a r e , even those " w h o h a v e k n o w n and h a n d l e d books all t h e i r lives." F o r e - edge p a i n t i n g s a r e p a i n t i n g s on t h e f o r e - e d g e of a book. If t h e p a i n t i n g s a r e e x e c u t e d on t h e p a n e l w h i c h t h e closed book o f f e r s , t h e n w e a r e d e a l i n g w i t h a p r a c t i c e w h i c h goes back to at l e a s t as e a r l y as t h e t e n t h c e n t u r y , w h e n edges w e r e d e c o r a t e d w i t h designs s t a m p e d into t h e gilt w i t h a h o t tool. B u t it is n o t this obvious kind of f o r e - e d g e d e c o r a - tion w i t h w h i c h this book is c o n c e r n e d . F a r m o r e p r o v o c a t i v e is t h e r e s u l t o b t a i n e d by o p e n i n g t h e book, f a n n i n g t h e leaves, p a i n t i n g a design on this l a r g e r s u r f a c e and t h e n gilding o v e r t h e p a i n t i n g s . W h e n t h e book is closed t h e p a i n t i n g d i s a p p e a r s and t h e edges a p p e a r m e r e l y gilt. N o w o n d e r this is called a " m y s t e r i o u s a r t . " O c c a s i o n a l l y an a m b i - tious a r t i s t , a f t e r p a i n t i n g t h e edges w h e n t h e leaves w e r e f a n n e d f r o m t h e f r o n t , w o u l d f a n t h e leaves t h e opposite w a y and e x e c u t e APRIL, 1950 18 7 a n o t h e r p a i n t i n g on t h a t s u r f a c e . T h e s e a r e k n o w n as d o u b l e f o r e - e d g e p a i n t i n g s . E d g e p a i n t i n g s w e r e i n v e n t e d and e x e c u t e d in b i n d e r s ' w o r k s h o p s . P r o f e s s o r W e b e r t a k e s u s f r o m t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t of S a m u e l M e a r n e , r o y a l b i n d e r t o C h a r l e s I I f r o m 1660-1683, t o t h e L a k e s i d e P r e s s in C h i c a g o , w h e r e A l f r e d de S a n t y , s u p e r v i s o r of t h e h a n d w o r k in its b i n d e r y f r o m 1923-1935, e x e c u t e d f o r e - e d g e p a i n t i n g s . T h e a u t h o r l i n g e r s l o n g e s t w i t h t h e a c h i e v e m e n t s of t h e E d w a r d s f a m i l y , b e g i n n i n g w i t h W i l l i a m E d - w a r d s of H a l i f a x , fine b i n d e r , w h o revived t h e a r t of f o r e - e d g e p a i n t i n g a b o u t t h e y e a r 1750. U n d e r him and his sons t h e a r t w a s p r a c t i c e d w i t h such skill and t a s t e t h a t t h e n a m e of E d w a r d s shines o u t a b o v e all o t h e r s in t h e h i s t o r y of this c h a r m i n g kind of book d e c o r a t i o n . T h e h e i g h t of p r o d u c t i o n w a s r e a c h e d in t h e first q u a r t e r of t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y , a t i m e w h e n A m e r i c a n m e n of l e t t e r s w e r e sailing t o E u r o p e and r e t u r n i n g w i t h books. F r o m t h e first t h e c u r i o u s a r t a p p e a l e d t o t h e A m e r i c a n bibliophile a n d this w a s r e - flected a l m o s t i m m e d i a t e l y in t h e scenes of t h e f o r e - e d g e p a i n t i n g s . T h e p i c t u r e s q u e s p o t s of E n g l a n d w e r e o f t e n replaced by v i e w s of B o s t o n , o r P h i l a d e l p h i a , o r N e w Y o r k — t h e h o m e cities of t h e m o n e y e d A m e r i c a n s w h o w e r e able t o s a t i s f y t h e i r t a s t e f o r t h e s e expensive bibelots. Soon t h e a r t of f o r e - edge p a i n t i n g b e g a n t o be p r a c t i c e d on this side of t h e A t l a n t i c . W i t h k n o w l e d g e of t h e process c a m e w h a t is p r o b a b l y t h e first s t a t e - m e n t in p r i n t of this m y s t e r i o u s a r t in J a m e s B. N i c h o l s o n ' s Manual of the Art of Book- binding issued in P h i l a d e l p h i a in 1856. B r i t i s h p a i n t i n g s r e m a i n e d m o r e p o p u l a r , h o w e v e r , so t h a t A m e r i c a n c o n t r i b u t i o n s to t h e a r t a r e slight. B u t A m e r i c a n c o l l e c t o r s h a v e been such e n t h u s i a s t i c p a t r o n s t h a t P r o - f e s s o r W e b e r says t h a t n o s t u d e n t of f o r e - edge p a i n t i n g n e e d s t o c r o s s t h e o c e a n . A v a l u a b l e f e a t u r e of this book is t h e w a y t h e a u t h o r r e l a t e s its topic to o t h e r aspects of book and l i t e r a r y h i s t o r y . T h e s u b j e c t t a k e s its place in a r o u n d e d a c c o u n t of l i t - e r a r y and book t a s t e and t r e n d s , r a t h e r t h a n as an a r t w h i c h exists in a v a c u u m . T h e r e a r e , h o w e v e r , a f e w e r r o r s t h a t need t o be c o r r e c t e d . I t is an e x a g g e r a t i o n t o say t h a t m a n u s c r i p t books of t h e M i d d l e A g e s w e r e " u s u a l l y l a r g e and h e a v y . " B o o k s of conveni- e n t a n d p o r t a b l e size w e r e n e c e s s a r y f o r p r i - v a t e use t h e n as n o w , and a f a i r p a r t of t h e shelves of m a n u s c r i p t divisions of o u r li- b r a r i e s a r e filled w i t h n o r m a l size books. T h e m a s s p r o d u c t i o n s of Bibles in t h e t h i r - t e e n t h c e n t u r y h a s l e f t behind q u a n t i t i e s of tiny v o l u m e s f a r s m a l l e r t h a n t h e a v e r a g e p r i n t e d book of t o d a y . E v e n m o r e n u m e r o u s , especially in A m e r i c a n collections, a r e t h e s m a l l Books of Hours. Since P r o f e s s o r W e b e r is so i n t e r e s t e d in t h e E d w a r d s p u r - c h a s e of t h e Bedford Missal his d e s c r i p t i o n of it should h a v e included t h e i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t t h e f a m o u s m a n u s c r i p t is i n c o r r e c t l y titled " M i s s a l " as it is a Book of Hours. K i n g H e n r y V I I ( 1 4 8 5 - 1 5 0 9 ) w a s n o t t h e " f i r s t E n g l i s h m o n a r c h t o f o r m a l i b r a r y . " E d w a r d I V ( 1 4 6 1 - 1 4 8 3 ) is t h e m a n t o w h o m t h e B r i t i s h M u s e u m gives t h e c r e d i t of being t h e king " w h o first a c q u i r e d f o r himself a l i b r a r y t h a t could be called a n a t i o n a l in- s t i t u t i o n . " E n g l i s h kings of s e v e r a l c e n t u r i e s e a r l i e r c e r t a i n l y h a d collections of books, as r o y a l r e c o r d s s h o w . Y o u w i l l e n j o y r a m b l i n g t h r o u g h t h e p a g e s of P r o f e s s o r W e b e r ' s book w h e t h e r you a r e being r e g a l e d w i t h f a c t s o r p r e s e n t e d w i t h clues and asked to t r y y o u r skill a t d e d u c - tion, o r w h e t h e r y o u a r e c h u c k l i n g a t his w i t t y " a s i d e s . " If you d a b b l e w i t h w a t e r c o l o r s his c h a p t e r on " T e c h n i q u e " m a y in- s p i r e you t o f o l l o w his d i r e c t i o n s a n d d e c o r a t e y o u r o w n v o l u m e s . E v e n b e f o r e you h a v e finished t h e book no d o u b t you w i l l h a s t e n t o t h e shelves of y o u r l i b r a r y t o see w h e t h e r you might h a v e o v e r l o o k e d a f o r e - e d g e p a i n t - ing on a B a s k e r v i l l e Virgil o r Terence o r a B o d o n i Castle of Otranto, w h i c h t h e E d - w a r d s firm p u b l i s h e d as w e l l as b o u n d . P e r - h a p s y o u r best c h a n c e w o u l d be t o t r y t h e e i g h t e e n t h - n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y editions of S c o t t w h o s e v o l u m e s of v e r s e w e r e chosen m o r e o f t e n f o r edge d e c o r a t i o n t h a n t h o s e of any o t h e r p o e t . B u t C o w p e r , M i l t o n , and J a m e s T h o m s o n ' s Seasons w e r e p o p u l a r also. T h e chances a r e t h a t you w i l l r e t u r n w i t h o u t a f o r e - e d g e p a i n t i n g to f a n a n d a d m i r e , b u t you can s a t i s f y y o u r s e l f w i t h t h e e x c e l l e n t p l a t e s , t w o in color, w h i c h l i b e r a l l y i l l u s t r a t e this book. S k i l l f u l l y p r e s e n t e d and a d - m i r a b l y p r i n t e d by t h e A n t h o e n s e n P r e s s this is a book w r i t t e n by a n d p r i n t e d f o r a r e a l b o o k l o v e r . — B e r t h a M. Frick, School of Li- brary Service, Columbia Univesity. 186 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES