Overview

Studies of the history of bookbinding are often mainly concerned with the exterior decoration. This volume 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 UK and USA. The book surveys the evolution of binding structures from the introduction of the codex 2000 years ago to the close of the Middle Ages. Part One 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 Two features a detailed analysis of Western binding structures, 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.

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9780859679046

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Reviews

'Dr Szirmai has filled gap of long standing in the history of the book. No comprehensive study of medieval bookbinding structure exists and certainly not one that is so detailed and wide ranging... An excellent and extensive bibliography and a detailed index contribute to making this a first-rate work of reference... above all, this is the sort of book that is only produced once in a generation, if that often. All book historians owe Dr Szirmai an enormous debt of gratitude for having written it.' The Library 'While comparisons are not possible with a book which stands alone in its scope and scrupulous presentation of its material, it can be said that more than anything published so far in this field, it stands as a statement of what is currently known of the subject... a mine of information, much of which is either available nowhere else or in journals or languages not accessible to any but the most dedicated researchers. It deserves to be on the shelves of any individual or institution that concerns itself with the medieval book.' Nicholas Pickwood, TLS '... a book literally without peer... It is this passionate interest that has enabled (Szirmai) to assemble this remarkable history...' Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 'Le 'Szirmai' sera incontournable pour tout etudiant manuscrit.' Veronika von BA1/4ren, Aevum '... a work of great scholarship.' Bookbinder '... [a] major contribution to the study of bookbinding... Szirmai's book [...] is the first to offer a comprehensive account of binding structures; from sewing, through edge trimming, to fastenings and furnishings... The detail, like the coverage, is astonishing... an absolute must for any library concerned with the art, history, and science of the book.' ARLIS 'Every book restorer should be familiar with the knowledge in The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding... It should be available to every book restorer as an indispensable handbook... The book is a standar

'Dr Szirmai has filled gap of long standing in the history of the book. No comprehensive study of medieval bookbinding structure exists and certainly not one that is so detailed and wide ranging... An excellent and extensive bibliography and a detailed index contribute to making this a first-rate work of reference... above all, this is the sort of book that is only produced once in a generation, if that often. All book historians owe Dr Szirmai an enormous debt of gratitude for having written it.’ The Library ’While comparisons are not possible with a book which stands alone in its scope and scrupulous presentation of its material, it can be said that more than anything published so far in this field, it stands as a statement of what is currently known of the subject... a mine of information, much of which is either available nowhere else or in journals or languages not accessible to any but the most dedicated researchers. It deserves to be on the shelves of any individual or institution that concerns itself with the medieval book.’ Nicholas Pickwood, TLS '... a book literally without peer... It is this passionate interest that has enabled (Szirmai) to assemble this remarkable history...' Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America ’Le ’Szirmai’ sera incontournable pour tout étudiant manuscrit.’ Veronika von Büren, Aevum '... a work of great scholarship.' Bookbinder ’... [a] major contribution to the study of bookbinding... Szirmai’s book [...] is the first to offer a comprehensive account of binding structures; from sewing, through edge trimming, to fastenings and furnishings... The detail, like the coverage, is astonishing... an absolute must for any library concerned with the art, history, and science of the book.’ ARLIS ’Every book restorer should be familiar with the knowledge in The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding... It should be available to every book restorer as an indispensable handbook... The book is a standar

'Dr Szirmai has filled gap of long standing in the history of the book. No comprehensive study of medieval bookbinding structure exists and certainly not one that is so detailed and wide ranging... An excellent and extensive bibliography and a detailed index contribute to making this a first-rate work of reference... above all, this is the sort of book that is only produced once in a generation, if that often. All book historians owe Dr Szirmai an enormous debt of gratitude for having written it.' The Library 'While comparisons are not possible with a book which stands alone in its scope and scrupulous presentation of its material, it can be said that more than anything published so far in this field, it stands as a statement of what is currently known of the subject... a mine of information, much of which is either available nowhere else or in journals or languages not accessible to any but the most dedicated researchers. It deserves to be on the shelves of any individual or institution that concerns itself with the medieval book.' Nicholas Pickwood, TLS '... a book literally without peer... It is this passionate interest that has enabled (Szirmai) to assemble this remarkable history...' Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 'Le 'Szirmai' sera incontournable pour tout etudiant manuscrit.' Veronika von Buren, Aevum '... a work of great scholarship.' Bookbinder '... [a] major contribution to the study of bookbinding... Szirmai's book [...] is the first to offer a comprehensive account of binding structures; from sewing, through edge trimming, to fastenings and furnishings... The detail, like the coverage, is astonishing... an absolute must for any library concerned with the art, history, and science of the book.' ARLIS 'Every book restorer should be familiar with the knowledge in The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding... It should be available to every book restorer as an indispensable handbook... The book is a standard work for the evolution of binding techniques and therefore it should not be missing in any professional library.' Papier Restaurierung 'Succinct and organized, fully and lucidly illustrated, Szirmai's book includes thorough documentation and an excellent subject index.' Choice 'Szirmai deserves our indebtedness for a magisterial work which constitutes a milestone in the field of the archaeology of the book, qualifying the author as the first true archaeologist of the binding structure.' CABNewsletter 'As the first scholarly work to treat medieval bookbindings from the standpoint of the book-as-object, The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding sheds new light on the making of early books, and offers many insights into this subject. Throughout, Szirmai contests much conventional wisdom... Szirmai's meticulous account will surely become essential reading for everyone responsible for the safekeeping of medieval books and their bindings.' NPO Journal 'Every aspect of this book is superb: The scholarship is meticulous, the language clear and graceful, the diagrams of structures are right there whenever a point needs to be illustrated, and the book itself is well printed (in Plantin, on acid-free paper) and well bound... Each chapter has voluminous notes, and there is a long bibliography and detailed index... This is a technical book that is hard to put down. Reading it, and then trying to describe it to another person is like trying to describe the Grand Canyon to someone who has never seen it: in the end, you can only say, You had to be there to understand. ' Abbey Newsletter 'The author should be congratulated with the publication of this book, written with an extraordinary clarity, accessible to both learned codicologists and practising restorers... Finally, it should be clearly stated that it would be highly desirable to have this book translated into Russian, since no work of this scope with such significance for both restorers and archaeologists has ever been published here.' Restoration of Museak Treasures 'The monograph is a unique synthesis of a lifelong experience, a thorough study of literature and of the documentation of extensive fieldwork. In addition to these fundamental values it is extremely significant for the methodology and the terminology. Invaluable also is the bibliography, comprising 604 items on 26 pages.' Arts and Crafts, Prague '... very readable and excellently illustrated narrative that leaves the student with a compelling interest in the meaning of early bookbindings and a poignant appreciation of the uncertainties of their survival.' Libraries and Culture 'Dr Szirmai's book is strikingly complete, concise, and balanced; even where I thought I knew the primary sources well, I found my understanding of them was improved after using this book. The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding is the most important single contribution to the history of bookbinding to appear for many decades, and should be a foundation-piece in any collection of books on the history of binding or binding structure.' Guild of Booksellers Newsletter

Author Information

Professor J.A.Szirmai spent twenty years in medical research before becoming a professional designer bookbinder and later a scholar in the history of binding techniques.

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