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Bookbinding Collection

A collection with a common trait - the bindings of the books. These include older as well as more modern bindings, typical binding examples from various periods, lavish workmanship and the work of several former bookbinders of Gothenburg.

About the collection

The Bookbinding collection is based solely on the bindings of its titles, not the contents of the texts themselves. The collection is slowly growing and currently includes some 300 volumes from the 16^th century onwards. Below is a selection of bindings that have found their place in the collection for a variety of reasons. If the individual bookbinder is known, this is noted, and some of these names are further commented.

From the collection

Photo: Gunnar Jönsson

Access the collection

The collection is held in the closed stacks at the Humanities library. It is available for reading room use only.

Catalogue
The bookbinding Collection has a typewritten catalogue on cards with several aspects indexed, such as bookbinder, bindings types and more.

Humanities library
Renströmsgatan 4
405 30 GOTHENBURG
Phone: 031-786 17 45

Contact us

Text:

Stefan Benjaminsson

A selection of items from the Bookbinding collection

Aouleius: [Cum commentariis] Philippi Beroaldi. Printed in Paris, 1512. 16th century full leather binding, with tooled decoration, writing on covers. Clasps and chain.

Photo: Stefan Benjaminsson

Michail Bulgakov, Master i Margarita. Printed in Saint Petersburg, 2005. Black leather binding with six-colour decoration. Artist: Sergej Borin.

Photo: Stefan Benjaminsson

William C. Metcalfe: Frank Weatherall. Printed in London, [1894?]. Contemporary, illustrated publisher's binding.

Photo: Stefan Benjaminsson

Fr. Schlegel: Bibliothek der Deutschen Classiker. Contemporary publisher's covers in cardboard. Since these bindings were held as provisional, they were often removed when the buyer had the volume bound, and bindings in this condition are unusual today.

Photo: Stefan Benjaminsson

E. Gaskell: Cranford. Printed in London, 1894. Contemporary whole cloth binding with lavish gold decoration.

Photo: Stefan Benjaminsson

J.-H. de Bernardin Saint-Pierre: Paul et Virginie. Printed in Paris, 1830. Richly decorated full leather binding by R. Riviére.

Photo: Stefan Benjaminsson

Den swenska psalmboken. Printed in Stockholm, 1826. Contemporary full parchment binding with coloured covers and clasps. 'Fästmansband' (literally 'fiancé binding').

Photo: Stefan Benjaminsson

J. Addison & R. Steel: Days with Sir Roger de Coverley. Printed in London, 1886. From the Doves' bindery, 1897. Brown, gilded leather binding by Cobden-Sanderson.

Photo: Stefan Benjaminsson

Nils Linde (1890-1962) had a long career as a bookbinder, from 1911 to 1962. He dominated the bookbinding scene in Gothenburg, and from 1934 he was appointed Bookbinder to the Court. Linde trained in Gothenburg at what is now HDK-Valand and received additional training at the Staatliche Fachschule für Buchbinder in Hamburg. He became, as described by Jan Westin and Bo Lennart Hermansson in their book Nils Linde - konstbokbindare, ”a trailblazer within artistic bookbinding, mainly through his will and ability to give the plainer - often part leather - paper cover a place within accomplished, artisanal craftsmanship.” The library has a great many Linde bindings, from plain everyday covers to lavish art bindings. The Bookbinding Collection also includes several Linde bindings.

Gauguin: Ett bildurval. Printed in Stockholm 1948. Full oasis binding with inlay. Composed by Niels-Henry Mörck.

Photo: Stefan Benjaminsson

Fritjof Nilsson Piraten: Historier från Färs. Printed in Stockholm 1955. Illustrated paper covers, composed by Nils Wedel.

Photo: Stefan Benjaminsson

Ella Krantz (1904-1957) was a Gothenburg art bookbinder. Krantz trained at the Kunstbewerbeschule in Hamburg, under Franz Weisse. In Gothenburg she ran a bookbinding workshop with business partner Astri Leman, and her bindings were featured in several exhibitions, 1932, 1945 och 1950. She is mentioned in Georg Svensson's Modern svensk bokkonst (1953). Beyond this, she was active as a bookbinding teacher at the Gothenburg New Elementary School for girls. The Bookbinding Collection includes one of her bindings.

Carl Jonas Love Almquist: Törnrosblad. Printed in Stockholm 1919. Blue full leather cover with gilded decoration.

Photo: Stefan Benjaminsson

Gustaf Hedberg (1859-1920) is a renowned personage within Swedish bookbinding. Hedberg began as an apprentice of G. M. Löfmark in Helsingborg. He held several positions in Helsingborg and Stockholm before he earned a travel scholarship to Paris in 1881-1885. Once returned home, he opened his own bookbinder's workshop in Stockholm. He was appointed bookbinder to the court in 1901 and around the turn of the last century, he had clients in most European countries, as well as the US, Japan and Australia. For many years, a Hedberg binding was the benchmark of quality bookbinding. The library collections include a number of Hedberg bindings, not least in the special collections, such as the Holberg Collection, the Kaj Munk Collection, and the Herbert Blomstedt Collection. The Bookbinding Collection includes six bindings by Hedberg.

Oostindisk reise-bog … Printed in Copenhagen 1678. Full calf binding, light and black-marbled, with inner and outer dentelles and gilded edges.

Photo: Stefan Benjaminsson

Acquisition history

In itself, the Bookbinding Collection is not acquired as a whole, but has been created at the library. The books that are part of the collection have been selected by the library staff over a number of years, as good examples of the material properties of books, bookbinding craftsmanship, or the work of specific, individual bookbinders. The collection was assembled in this way in the early 1970s, but is continuously expanded when we identify bindings that are interesting or unique.