Bookbinding, and the Care of Books by Douglas Cockerell

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Bookbinding, and the Care of Books by Douglas Cockerell

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By Ronald Gonzalez Posted on Dec 25, 2025

In Category - Economics

Authors: Cockerell, Douglas, 1870-1945 Published By : Cockerell, Douglas, 1870-1945

Book Language: English

Ever wondered how the books on your shelf were actually made? Not the writing or printing, but the physical object itself—how the pages are sewn, the covers attached, the leather tooled? This isn't a dry manual. It's a love letter to the craft from one of its last great masters, Douglas Cockerell. He wrote this guide in 1901 to save the art of bookbinding from being lost to industrial shortcuts. Reading it feels like stepping into his workshop, smelling the glue and leather, and learning from a patient expert who believes a well-made book is a companion for centuries. If you've ever lovingly run your fingers over a raised spine or marveled at marbled endpapers, this book explains the magic behind it all.

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ASSISTANT IN THE ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. [Illustration] IN FOUR VOLUMES (1894–1900). VOL. IV. LONDON: R. H. PORTER, 7 PRINCES STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE, W. 1899–1900. [Illustration: ALERE FLAMMAM.] PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS, RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET. CONTENTS. VOL. IV. Page Subfamily VI. HIPPOTRAGINÆ 1 Genus I. Hippotragus 3 110. The Blue-buck. _Hippotragus leucophœus_ (Pall.). [Plate LXXVI.] 5 111. The Roan Antelope. _H. equinus_ (Desm.). [Plates LXXVII. & LXXVIII.] 13 112. The Sable Antelope. _H. niger_ (Harr.). [Plates LXXIX. & LXXX.] 31 Genus II. Oryx 41 113. The Leucoryx. _Oryx leucoryx_ (Licht.). [Plate LXXXI.] 43 114. The Beatrix Antelope. _O. beatrix_, Gray. [Plate LXXXII.] 51 115. The Gemsbok. _O. gazella_ (Linn.). [Plate LXXXIII.] 57 116. The Beisa. _O. beisa_ (Rüpp.). [Plate LXXXIV.] 65 117. The Tufted Beisa. _O. callotis_, Thomas. [Plate LXXXV.] 73 Genus III. Addax 77 118. The Addax. _Addax naso-maculatus_ (Blainv.). [Plate LXXXVI.] 79 Subfamily VII. TRAGELAPHINÆ 89 Genus I. Boselaphus 91 119. The Nilgai. _Boselaphus tragocamelus_ (Pallas). [Plate LXXXVII.] 93 Genus II. Tragelaphus 103 120. The Decula Antelope. _Tragelaphus decula_ (Rüpp.). [Plate LXXXVIII.] 105 121. The Harnessed Antelope. _T. scriptus_ (Pallas). [Plate LXXXIX.] 109 122. The Cape Bushbuck. _T. sylvaticus_ (Sparrm.). [Plate XC. fig. 2.] 117 123. Cumming’s Bushbuck. _T. roualeyni_ (Cumming). [Plate XC. fig. 1.] 123 124. Delamere’s Bushbuck. _T. delamerei_, Pocock 129 125. The Broad-horned Antelope. _T. eurycerus_ (Ogilby). [Plate XCI.] 131 126. Angas’ Antelope. _T. angasi_, Angas. [Plate XCII.] 137 Genus III. Limnotragus 149 127. Speke’s Sitatunga. _Limnotragus spekii_ (Sclater). [Plate XCIII.] 151 128. Selous’s Sitatunga. _L. selousi_ (Rothsch.). [Plate XCIV.] 157 129. The Congan Sitatunga. _L. gratus_ (Sclater). [Plate XCV.] 165 Genus IV. Strepsiceros 171 130. The Greater Kudu. _Strepsiceros capensis_ (A. Smith). [Plate XCVI.] 173 131. The Lesser Kudu. _S. imberbis_, Blyth. [Plate XCVII.] 185 Genus V. Taurotragus 193 132. The Eland. _Taurotragus oryx_ (Pall.). [Plates XCVIII. & XCIX.] 195 133. The Derbian Eland. _T. derbianus_ (Gray). [Plate C.] 215 APPENDIX. List of the Species and Subspecies of Antelopes described as New during the progress of this Work 223 Index 229 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT. VOL. IV. Fig. Page 88. Frontlet of the Blue-buck 11 89. Horns of Baker’s Roan Antelope 25 90. Head of Roan Antelope 29 91. Head of Sable Antelope 38 92. A Leucoryx attacked by a Lion 48 93. Young Leucoryx 49 94. Female Beisa 70 95. Horns of male Addax 83 96. Horns of female Addax 83 97. Head of a female Addax 85 98. Skull and horns of an adult male Nilgai 100 99. Frontlet of an adult male Nilgai 101 100. Skull and horns of Cumming’s Bushbuck 126 101. Frontlet of Cumming’s Bushbuck 127 102. Delamere’s Bushbuck 130 103. The Bongo Antelope 134 104. Head and horns of the Broad-horned Antelope 135 105. Head and horns of Angas’ Antelope 140 106. Angas’ Antelope, ♂ & ♀ 146 107. Horns of _Tragelaphus_ sp. inc. 147 108. Speke’s Sitatunga in a Papyrus-swamp 153 109. Horns and feet of Speke’s Sitatunga 154 110. Speke’s Sitatunga, ♂ & ♀ 156 111. Outer view of right foot of Selous’s Sitatunga, ⅓ t. size 158 112. Horns of Congan Sitatunga 167 113. Head of the male Cgan Sitatunga, from the specimen in the British Museum 169 114. Male and female Kudu 183 115. Horns of Lesser and Greater Kudus 188 116. Skull and horns of Livingstone’s Eland, ♂ 205 117. Horns of _Taurotragus oryx gigas_ 208 118. Abnormal horns of female Eland 209 119. Herd of Derbian Elands 218 120. Horns of Derbian Eland 219 121. Front view of the horns of the Derbian Eland 221...

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This isn't a novel with a plot, but it has a clear mission. Douglas Cockerell, a top bookbinder in the early 1900s, saw traditional methods fading fast. He wrote this guide to document everything—from folding paper and sewing signatures to covering in leather and creating decorative designs. He explains the 'why' behind every step, arguing that proper materials and techniques aren't just for show; they make a book that lasts. The 'story' is his passionate defense of craftsmanship against the rise of cheap, disposable bindings.

Why You Should Read It

You might think a technical manual from 1901 would be boring. It's the opposite. Cockerell's voice is clear, practical, and deeply enthusiastic. You feel his respect for good paper, strong thread, and honest labor. It’s less about following instructions and more about understanding a philosophy: treat the object with care, and it will carry knowledge beautifully for generations. It completely changes how you look at the physical books in your life.

Final Verdict

Perfect for curious readers, aspiring makers, or anyone with a deep appreciation for physical books. If you enjoy The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning for its respect for objects, or if you've ever watched a bookbinding video online and fell down a rabbit hole, this is the classic text that started it all for modern conservators and hobbyists. It’s a foundational and surprisingly engaging piece of history for your hands.

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