Bookbinding, the art of assembling written or printed pages into a durable volume, has a history that reflects the evolution of human knowledge and craftsmanship. Its origins can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where early forms included clay tablets, papyrus scrolls, and wax tablets. By the 2nd century AD, the codex—pages bound together along one edge—emerged in the Roman world, replacing scrolls and laying the foundation for the modern book. During the Middle Ages, bookbinding flourished in monasteries, where manuscripts were hand-copied and bound in wooden boards covered with leather, often decorated with intricate tooling or metalwork. With the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, demand for books grew, and binding methods became more standardized, while still allowing for ornate craftsmanship in fine bindings. Over time, industrialization introduced mechanized processes that made bookbinding faster and more affordable, opening access to mass-produced books. Today, while most books are produced by machines, traditional hand bookbinding continues as a respected craft, preserving historical techniques and emphasizing artistry, restoration, and the enduring beauty of the bound book.
All of the book titles that are included in this DVD are listed as follows:
Bookbinding for Beginners (1918) - 110 Pages
The Art of Bookbinding A Practical Treatise (1890) - 240 Pages
Art of Bookbinding (1890) - 272 Pages
Bookbinders and Their Craft (1903) - 324 Pages
Bookbinding as a Handwork Subject (1915) - 84 Pages
Bookbinding and the Care of Books (1920) - 360 Pages
Bookbinding for Bibliophiles (1905) - 158 Pages
Bookbinding with Numerous Engravings and Diagrams (1907) - 166 Pages
The Book-Collector (1845) - 374 Pages
The Book: Its Printers, Illustrators, and Binders (1890) - 408 Pages
Book of Type Specimens (1907) - 1048 Pages
Book Repair and Restoration (1918) - 150 Pages
The Binding of Books (1894) - 262 Pages
Catalogue of Ornamental Leather Bookbindings Executed in America Prior to 1850 (1907) - 132 Pages
Works on Bookbinding Practical and Historical (1903) - 134 Pages
Commercial Bookbinding (1910) - 84 Pages
Cowie's Bookbinder's Manual (1852) - 152 Pages
Bookbinding for Amateurs (1885) - 232 Pages
Design and Color in Printing (1909) - 96 Pages
Electrotyping a Practical Treatise on the Art of Electrotyping by the Latest Known Methods (1908) - 224 Pages
Encyclopaedia of Literary and Typographical Anecdote (1842) - 1166 Pages
The English Bookman's Library (1899) - 261 Pages
Exhibition fo Silver Embroidered and Curious Bookbindings (1903) - 108 Pages
Historical Essay on the Art of Bookbinding (1883) - 54 Pages
An Historical Sketch of Bookbinding (1893) - 322 Pages
Leather for Libraries (1905) - 82 Pages
Library Bookbinding (1916) - 268 Pages
Manual of Library Bookbinding (1911) - 316 Pages
British Museum Guide to the Manuscripts, Autographs, Charters, Seals, illuminations and Bindings Exhibited in the Department of Manuscripts and in the Grenville Library (1906) - 392 Pages
A Note on Bookbinding (1904) - 50 Pages
Notes on Bookbinding for Libraries (1910) - 184 Pages
Practical Bookbinding by Adam (1903) - 232 Pages
Practical Bookbinding by Pearce (1908) - 144 Pages
The Printed Book (1916) - 192 Pages
Women in the Bookbinding Trade (1913) - 328 Pages
The Printer's Dictionary (1912) - 392 Pages
The Printers' Handbook (1891) - 388 Pages
Report of the Committee on Leather for Bookbinding (1905) - 144 Pages
Printing and Book Binding (1919) - 160 Pages
A Short History of Bookbinding (1895) - 50 pages
Specimens of Linotype, Monotype, and Hand Type in use in the Book Composing Room (1905) - 210 Pages
A History of the Art of Bookbinding (1894) - 340 Pages
An Essay on Bookbinding as an Art (1886) - 20 Pages
Historical Bindings in the Bodleian Library, Oxford (1891) - 216 Pages
Bookbinding and its Auxiliary Branches Volume 1 (1914) - 90 Pages
Bookbinding and its Auxiliary Branches Volume 2 (1914) - 136 Pages
Bookbinding and its Auxiliary Branches Volume 3 (1914) - 296 Pages
New Books for Old (1916) - 58 Pages
Binding for Libraries (1915) - 24 Pages
Modern Bookbindings Their Design and Decoration (1906) - 232 Pages
Early American Bookbinding and Kindred Subjects (1902) - 30 Pages
Modern Bookbinding Practically Considered (1889) - 126 Pages
Bookbinding in France (1895) - 118 Pages
Royal English Book Bindings (1896) - 120 Pages
The Spencer Collection of Modern Book Bindings (1914) - 84 Pages
Mending and Repair of Books (1921) - 32 Pages
Book Mending Material and Other Library Supplies (1927) - 38 Pages
The Making of a Book (1915) - 40 Pages
A Guide to the Exhibition in the King's Library (1901) - 162 Pages
Printing and Bookbinding for Schools (1914) - 160 Pages
Bookbindings Old and New (1895) - 370 Pages