Case 4

Full Leather Binding

This book is sewn on supports of linen cord and covered in full goatskin. The green and yellow decorative endbands are sewn through the paper at the head and tail (top and bottom) of the book.

Full leather bindings are still popular today with design bookbinders.  

Library Style/Split Board Binding

The library style binding was developed from the need to construct durable bindings that could withstand the use of many readers. When making a split board binding, the binder attaches the boards to a flange that extends across the spine, creating a sturdy connection between the boards and the text block.

This type of binding was common in the 19th century and typically had a leather spine and corner pieces.

Millimeter Binding / Edelpappband

This style of binding usually features a paper cover, with a small strip (usually a few millimeters) of cloth, leather, or parchment trim at the head, tail, or fore-edges of the volume. This elegant binding is well suited for smaller, thinner books. The version shown here is based on the Danish variant of the binding that features orange leather trim running along the entire length of the head and tail.

Quarter Leather Binding

“Quarter leather” indicates that the leather covers the spine but the front and back boards are covered in a different material. This book is covered in brown goatskin and a special kind of cloth called airplane linen that was dyed by the binder.

The binder also used gold leaf and heated tools to create the titling on the spine. Egg white (glair) was used to stick the gold leaf to the leather, just as it was done in earlier centuries.

Scaleboard Binding

A Colonial American style, this bookbinding was commonly used for thin schoolbooks and pamphlets. Pasteboard for traditional book covers was scarce, so thin wooden sheets called scaleboard or scabbard were substituted. These humble books were not always sewn, but laced onto thongs through slots in the paper sections that were glued onto the inside of the boards. The leather spine pieces were often not trimmed, further demonstrating the utilitarian nature of these bookbindings. Conservators note that scaleboard bindings were not made to last, as the thongs and thin wooden boards often fragment.

Springback Account Book Binding

Account books need to lie flat when open to facilitate hand-written entries. A special spine construction, called the “springback,” allows for the account book to open flat. If the spine is constructed correctly, the book will make a snapping sound when it is opened fully. A leather spine and marbled paper covers are the typical covering materials found in this style of binding.