The History of Decorated Bookbinding in England

Lavishly illustrated, this book traces the decorated binding in England from the earliest-surviving example - that of the St Cuthbert Gospel dating from a little before the end of the 7th century - to the beginning of the Modern Movement in the late 1940s. The text was originally given as the Lyell Lectures at Oxford in 1979 by Howard Nixon, Librarian at Westminster Abbey. Since his death, Dr Mirjam Foot has revised and amplified the material for publication. The book's main concern is with fine binding in leather, with the styles and designs used in its decoration, and with the tools employed to effect these designs. It traces the development of the English traditions, and brings together many illustrations of the superb bindings produced over the last eight centuries - many of them presentation copies, and the work of top craftsmen.