Dear bookbinders and book lovers,

With pleasure we mention an interesting publication which comprises a translation in English:

KORT ONDERWEIJS VAN HET BOECKEN BINDEN (A SHORT INSTRUCTION IN THE BINDING OF BOOKS),  edited by Koert van der Horst and Clemens de Wolf.

In 1658 Dirck De Bray described the making of a full leather binding and a parchment laced-case binding in a tiny manuscript, he described the most common techniques in the seventeenth century in the Netherlands, and remaining usual well into the eighteenth century. This booklet is the earliest known complete Dutch description of the binding process and of the tools used.  The manuscript is illustrated with 16 instructive drawings in pen and watercolor.

It is in the possession of the Noord-Hollands Archief in Haarlem, The Netherlands.

Two book scientists studied the text and illustrations in depth, and publish the results here, together with information on Dirck de Bray, aspects of  life in his time, the bookshops, the way books would normally look, the masters’ test for bookbinders and other early manuals.

Koert van der Horst was until his retirement Curator of Manuscripts in Utrecht University Library.

Clemens de Wolf is former Curator and Head of Collection & Research at the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, National Library of The Netherlands, The Hague.

The new publication depicts all the pages of the booklet in full-color; some illustrations are added, coming from:

•Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

•Amsterdam Museum

•Universiteitsbibliotheek, Utrecht

The book comprises:

•Each original page in 1658

•Transcription

•Paraphrase

The accompanying texts are also in English. The book encompasses 152 pages; the book block measures 23,5 x 16,5 cm (oblong format).

The whole publication is shown in low resolution on this website: De Bray LowRes.pdf

The publisher, Atelier De Ganzenweide, gives the opportunity to buy the book unbound, in folded sections; this will give professional and amateur binders the possibility to bind it according to their own taste.

The unbound version includes two blanc sections.

The printrun amounts to 500 copies, printed in full-color.

The price of the unbound sections is € 39,00.

The bound version is out of stock.

Payment can be done by PayPal or by International Bank Transfer.

To order the book or the sheets, please send an e-mail to: info@ganzenweide.nl.

The Guild of Bookworkers (www.guildofbookworkers.org) made a review of this publication, please click   GBW -  Oct 2012 - de Bray Review.pdf