Bookbindings: An Illustrated History

$75.00 at The Getty Museum.

An extravagantly illustrated history of the development of bookbindings, from antiquity to modern day. Bindings have been an essential—and often beautiful—component of books since the codex form was invented 2,000 years ago. They make books work, but they also provide an opportunity for binders to display their skills. Until book trade processes were industrialized in the nineteenth century, every binding was a unique handcrafted object, no matter how simple or elaborate. Bindings have been made of all kinds…