Bookbinders of the United Kingdom (Outside London) 1780-1840

Privately printed, [London], first edition, 1954. Limited edition of 500 copies. Cloth, top edge gilt, 4to, 25 cm,. xv, 250 pp, ills. From the blurb to a later reprint: "All of Charles Ramsden's books (which include French Bookbinders 1789-1848 and London Bookbinders 1780-1840) are regarded as authoritative. Bookbinders of the United Kingdom (Outside London) 1780-1840 follows the others in its concise presentation of information on bookbinders working in centres as important as Edinburgh, Dublin, York, Newcastle, Cambridge, Oxford or Bristol, as well as many smaller county towns. Arranged in three parts to cover England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, each section covers the principal directories consulted, a list of localities and binders working in the region, an alphabetical list of binders, including full addresses (if more than one), and information on business relations, apprenticeships, influences, and other matters of interest The author is meticulous in his evaluation of the degree of authority residing in his various source materials. The introduction includes an assessment of the importance of provincial bookbinders, degrees of binding activity, an analysis of the structure of the profession during the period, and the problems encountered with directories. The 16 illustrations include bindings by Bailey, Beardsall, Dodge, Mackenzie, Ridge and Sowler. Near Very Good.