Art du Relieur, nouvelle edition, augmentee de tout ce qui a ete ecrit de mieux sur ces matieres en Allemagne, en Angleterre, en Suisse, en Italie, etc.

110pp 2 engraved plates, old light circular stain in upper blank margin of title, dark red morocco backed marbled boards, spine gilt, 4to, Paris, J. Mornonvl, 1820.

Originally published as part of the Description des Arts et Metiers (1761-1788); the section by Dudin was first published as a separate volume with the title L’art du relieur-doreur des livres in 1772. Although this manual was not the first to be illustrated, it was the first to have large detailed plates which could be helpful not only to those learning binding techniques but also to those who planned to make standing – and other presses. The two engraved plates illustrate 42 separate illustrations of the details of bookbinding including several illustrations of decorated covers and spines.Dudin based his text on earlier descriptions by Jaugeon and Gauffecourt, and the plates were prepared by Louis Simonneau. As a layman, Dudin depended heavily on the advice of France’s foremost bookbinder of the period, Jean Charles Henri le Monnier. Monnier even arranged for him to watch books being bound.

The general coverage of operations is good, and reasons are given for the various methods described, a virtue which has not been a strong feature in English manuals until fairly recently. This new edition is furnished with footnotes by J.E. Bertrand which are sometimes quite extensive. All separate editions are rare. A translation into English by Richard MacIntyre Atkinson was published in 1977.

This copy belonged to and was presumably bound by the celebrated Parisian bookbinder, bibliophile, collector and scholar Leon Gruel (1841-1923); it bears his bookplate. It was subsequently in the library of Pierre Beres.

[Pollard 45, Middleton 4]