g 5*r ^ ^ ~~~-^THE LITERARY collector The “Christian Culture” Press of Chicago announce for early publica- tion “ Two Millenniums of Missions before Carey,” by the Rev. Lemuel Call Barnes, of the Fourth Avenue Church, Pittsburg. It will contain maps and illustrations. * * * Mr. A. Stapleton, of 15 Carlton Road, Nottingham, England, an- nounces a curious volume compiled by himself, “All About the Merry Tales of Gotham.” It contains an- cient Nottinghamshire jests and what the editor declares “ the only English local collection of stories of simple- tons. ’ ’ * * * Why don’t some of the people who spend vast amounts on fancy dress affairs get up a Cruikshank ball ? Fancy Chauncey Depew as Mr. Bum- ble, Peter Marie as Fagin, or W. K. Vanderbilt as Joey Grimaldi. Think of the wealth of characters embodied in Cruikshank ’s works. If any one uses this idea they may send the Editor a couple of tickets ! * * * A copy of the first edition of Thack- eray’s “ Vanity Fair,” in which had been inserted no less than nine of the original drawings for the work, has recently been acquired by a local col- lector. * * * Messrs. Bangs & Co. opened their auction season on the 24th September with a sale of miscellaneous books. They will continue to sell almost daily until next June. * * * In an early number of The Liter- ary Collector will be commenced a series of articles by John Malone en- titled “Shakespearian Shams/’ deal- ing with the various frauds perpe- trated by publishers, editors and “ discoverers ” from Shakespeare’s day to our own. * * * Mr. M. F. Mansfield has just published part 4 of his ‘ ‘ Steven- soniana ”, It contains ‘ ‘A Steven- son Shrine” by Emily Soldene, facsimile of the title page of the first edition of “ The Pentland Rising ” etc. The largest and most expensive catalogue in the world, is that of the printed books in the British Museum. So far 385 parts have been issued and the price ( includ- ing supplement of books purchased up to December 1899 ) is ,£385. GOLD TOOLING IN FRANCE. ‘ ‘ TT would seem as if the Muses A . . . had also applied them- selves to the decoration of the outsides of the books, so much of art and esprit appears in their orna- mentation. They are all tooled with a delicacy unknown to the gilders of to-day.” So wrote Vigneul de Marville, speaking of Grolier’s. books in 1725. .But the statement would have applied with stilll greater force in the sixteenth cent- ury when Grolier brought his su- perb collection from Italy into France. These books were a rev- elation to the Treasurer-General’s- compatriots ; and the French bind- ers of that day, gathering there- from new inspiration, began that surpassing national school which was to make book binding a truly Gallic art. Without doubt the integrity and tradition of the art in France owes largely to the guild of St. Jean Latran, dating from the mid- dle ages. The guild included all the fabricators of books — printers, binders, stationers — though it is in- teresting to note that upon the in- troduction of gold tooling a quarrel arose between the guild and certain workmen, not having the freedom of the guild, who practiced tooling, albeit their proper metier was gild- ing boots and shoes. For it is probable that the earliest French gilders united the trades of boot and book embellishment. This has been doubted by some author- 12 THE LITERARY COLLECTOR ities ; but I may call attention to the trademark of Guyot Marchant, printer and bookbinder, who flour- ished in the 15th century, in which is depicted the leather worker cob- bling with a strap across his knee after the fashion of all good cob- blers. But as to French binding there are questions more important. Who were the craftsmen who tooled these early books ? To the artist truly should belong the fame ; yet, unfortunately, the names of those who tooled these flowing arabesques are generally unknown ; and the books are named from the collectors who placed them on their shelves. One name stands out, however, with certainty ; that of Geofroy Tory, an artist versatile. It is known that he designed letters for Grolier, his contemporary. But it is doubtful if any of his bindings were done for this collector. His style is Italianate, clearly to be seen in a volume of Petrarch, bound by him, now in the British Museum. Here is the panel theme, enclosed in an outer border of interlacing Saracenic circles. The source of both is evident ; and we mark here the infiltration of the Italian Renaissance into Southern France, where Tory lived and wrought. On his work is seen the “ pot casse, ’ ’ the broken vase, his trade mark and sign manual. His work -can be identified. Not so, however, the work of many craftsmen still more skillful, who, under the influence of Gro- wer’s school, wrought those books of Henry II. and Catharine his Queen, wrought also for the fair Diane, whom Henry styled faith- lessly his ‘ ‘ seule prinsese. ’ ’ The names of these masters are un- known, or, at the best, rest in con- jecture. In their styles will be found impulses truly Grolieresque; styles I say advisedly, for here in France, as in Italy, coexisted tool- ing of different genres, and with that which was Italian much that was wholly French. Such was the “ semis," or powder, wherein the covers were strewn with “ petits fers ” regularly repeated. This manner is feeble, but national and ancient, dating from the middle ages. It occurs on many royal bindings, and was a favorite with Nicholas E/ve, one of the first of that family of binders For one must always bear in mind that, among famous French craftsmen, the trade descended from the father to the son ; and well-known names such as l£ve, Padeloup, Derome, often stand for several generations. Styles, too. as well as name and skill, become hereditary, and it is often impossible to assign to the particular artist a particular ex- ample of his art. And let us remember that indi- vidual craftsmen worked in several styles. Thus the E£ves used not only the semis , but also another manner peculiarly French, wherein the field is divided into numerous compartments, each linked to the other by bands of twisting fillets. Of these compartments each is va- riously filled, some with spiral arabesques, some; with isolated petits fers , and still others with little laurel branches, — bindings “ a la fanfare , ” as they were later dubbed by Nodier. If one might be so bold as to characterize one style out of many as truly typical of Gallic art, it would be this, the binding “ a la THE LITERARY COLLECTOR 13 fa?ifare ” with its twisting and curvilinear strap-work. It is, so to speak, the rectangular strap- work of Grolier passed through and transmuted by French genius into something new and different. Here the spirit of Italian form becomes in French hands over- refined, weakened and prettified into the national ideal. We see this strap-work later on, revived, forming the fundamental structure for the style of the greatest of French artists., — Le Gascon the mysterious, that mas- ter craftsman almost mythical. His existence even is denied ; but on conclusive evidence he lived and tooled covers generally ac- knowledged to be triumphs of the art. It will be remembered that the Italians gradually lightened the faces of their tools, using first the solid face, then tools azured, then tools merely outlined. In Le Gas- con this evolution reached a final stage in France, and his petits fers were but a string of minute dots, — tools ‘ ‘ au pointille. ’ ’ With these he fFled the compartments which the Eves designed before him. The effect was incomparably brilliant ; dazzling and lace-like .spirals' were set against each other in fine profu- sion. Mr. Horne, in his admirable study, points out that the spirals of Le Gascon lack in structural re- lation, — do not, indeed, spring one from the other with the finest sen- timent of form. But be} T ond doubt Le Gascon stands artist par-excel- lence in the history of binding ; and we are told that he is so ranked by Mr. Cobden-Sanderson, than whom there is probably no judge more competent. In Le Gascon we have the cli- max of gold tooling ; thencefor- ward begins the history of an art in its decline. Le Gascon was working in 1622, while in 1684 Luc Antoine Boyet was living at Paris in Rue des Sept Voies, and to him is credited the style called Jansen- ist, still in high favor with the amateur. The Jansenist binding has no gilding or other ornament on the exterior, save only a blind fillet edging the covers. Named from the sect of Jansenists, of Port Royal, the style embodies their ascetic and severe ideal. But even here the gilding denied to the outside was lavished on the “ doublure ” or inner lining of the cover ; this lining, made of leather, was elaborately tooled with a deep “ dentelle, } \ or lace-like, indented border. At this point in its his- tory the craft has reached a higher technical accomplishment. Here, as in other arts, a decline in genius is offset by a gain in craftsmanship. Padeloup was binding at this pe- riod and is famous for mosaics of gorgeous inlaid leathers, feeble in invention but gorgeous none the less. Here was another techni- cal advance, for the polychro- matic effects of Grolier and the early Renaissance were done with pigments, not in true mosaic. The dentelle style which Boyet lavished on the doublure was trans- ferred by the Deromes and Pade- loups to the outer cover. The style, named from its resemblance to the lace work of the period, is rococo and debased, a true reflec- tion of the day, an art weak in idea and structure, seeking the gor- geous chiefly, a child of the age, vain-glorious, and soon to fc be extinguished in the blast & of revolution. How inevitably does art reflect the spirit of its day and incarnate 14 the literary collector the contemporary ideal ! So it is even with this minor art of binding; at every stage taking its keynote from the passing fashion. To study the progress of the art in France is, in a little but not unin- teresting way, to study the history of France, to observe its follies, the pomp of King and courtier, and to take part in the luxury of Queen and favorite. We catch in these gilded arabesques the glint and true lineament of many old ideals. It is profitable, this study, as well as entertaining. You know the styles of Michael- Angelo or Titian with reasonable precision. Well, it is no harder, with a little study, to know the style of masters in this minor art ; whence comes an added pleasure as you wander through the museums of Europe, or handle, perchance, for a brief moment, the treasures of your friend, the famous biblio- phile. Fletcher Battershall. QYleper Q&roe. $$ £o. 26 W. 33d Street, New York Opposite the Waldorf-Astoria Court French Books Only THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FRENCH BOOKS IN THE UNITED STATES Rare Books, Fine Bindings, Extra Illustrations, Modern Books. Just published in the Philobiblon Series : “ Bibliomania in the Middle Ages A By F. Somner Merryweather, with an introduction by Charles Orr, Librarian of Case Library. One volume, small quarto, on Deckle Edge paper, $3.50. Limited to 500 copies only and 25 copies on Japan Paper at $10.00 — all numbered. EARLY New York Houses S. G. RAINS Importer and Dealer in (Rare an& QJlofcem QgooBg With Historical and Genealogical ^ descriptions by Wm.S.Pelletreau. Jfe Jc Decorated cover and original Jc head and tail pieces by C. G. Moller, Jr. 50 full-page views. 0, In 10 parts royal 8vo. Part 1 ready ™ October 1st. i 200 on fine book-paper at $1 net per part 25 on Japan paper, at $3 net per part SEND FOR PROSPECTUS. FRANCIS P. HARPER. 14 West 22nd Street, NEW YORK Sets of Books in Porolar A Editions, Limited Editions, Library Editions, Cloth, ^ 4 P Calf, Morocco and Levant 0 *** Bindings, a Specialty. 389 FIFTH AVE., cor 36th STREET NEW YORK CATALOGU E S F R. E E D ESCRIBING portions of the choice new and old books secured by Mr. Lauriat the past summer in Europe ; of three large private col- lections of books recently bought by us in this country ; and of the extensive stock of the well-known New York bookseller, William Evartt Benjamin, which we have just purchased and removed to our store. These catalogues will contain some of the best bargains ever offered. to Ameri- can bookbuyers. They will be issued as rapidly as possible and will be sent Free to any reader of the Literary Collector who will send us his address. CHARLES E. LAURIAT CO , Successors to Estes & Lauriat 301 Washington Street, opposite “Old South/’ Boston