Bindings image collection

Browse Folger Shakespeare Library Bindings Image Collection

This database provides access to high resolution images and descriptions of bindings from the rare book and manuscript collections of the Folger Shakespeare Library. Bindings were chosen from the collection by Frank Mowery not only because of their decorative tooled elements but also for their physical features as functional objects and cultural artifacts.

Recording information about binding structure and decoration can reveal items where the same or similar tools may have been used at different times by different binders or binding workshops. Uncovering such similarities can also help link multiple bindings to individual owners, collectors, binders, or workshops --even in cases where a binder may be as yet unidentified --as well as to specific geographical regions or to specific time periods.

Users can show multiple images side-by-side, zoom in and out, view cataloging information when available, export thumbnails, and construct persistent URLs linking back to items or searches.

Search fields

Summary information

Image caption: a brief description of the photo, including call number

General description: a brief description of the binding

Binder: a named binder or bindery (when known)

Country/Style: a country of origin (or in some cases a geographically or nationally distinct style of binding)

Period: a date for the binding (in some cases indicated as a "ca." date, an "early", "mid", or "late" century, or a full century)

Bibliographical information

Call number: the designated shelf location for the bound volume

Provenance: a brief description of former owners, typically derived from the Hamnet bibliographic record (when available)

Author: an author's name for the first, second, or third item bound in (no more than the first three items in a Sammelband are described here)

Title: a title for the first, second, or third item bound in

Created/published: a place, publisher or creator name, and date for the first, second, or third item bound in

Hamnet URL: a hyperlink to the full online bibliographic description (when available)

Binding description

Dimensions: binding size in millimeters (height by width by thickness)

Covering material: a brief description of the material covering the boards and spine

Sewing: a brief description of the sewing structure of the text block and binding

Headbands: a brief description of the spine headbands and endbands

Edge treatment: a brief description of gilding, gauffering, fore-edge painting, etc. that might appear on the edges of the text block

End papers: a brief description of the paper, including identification of marbling techniques

Closures: a brief description of the presence (or evidence of former) clasps, ties, ribbons, etc.

Decorative description: a narrative description of significant details about the tooling, gilding, and other decorative elements present on the binding.

Technical description: a narrative description of significant structural details. Typically present in entries based on the Fine and Historic Bookbindings catalog.

Other details: may include biographical details, quotations from cited research, etc.

Binding terms (RBMS): a controlled vocabulary heading from Binding Terms: A Thesaurus for Use in Rare Book and Special Collections Cataloging

Literature: brief reference to published descriptions or research into the binding (see bibliography for full citations)

List of bindings resources

Bibliography of materials related to the bindings image collection