Michel de Montaigne, Les Essais (Paris, Abel l'Angelier, 1588). Cambridge University Library, Montaigne.2.4.1.

French bookbindings of the 16th-18th centuries: a closer inspection

Fri 6 March 2020

Cambridge University Library

Sandars Lectures 2020, hosted by Cambridge University Library

Hosted by the speaker of this year's Sandars Lectures, this hands-on workshop with Isabelle de Conihout will address some key practical topics in the study of French bookbindings of the period, including:

- Dating bindings and the role of marbled paper
- Identifying the workshop which produced the binding: binders' tools and styles
- Identifying the person for whom the binding was made: ownership marks and stamps.

Two sets of books will be on show. First, the most important French bindings preserved in Cambridge University Library and discussed in the lectures will be displayed, including works by Grolier and Mahieu. A second selection of less fragile deluxe French bindings, from gilt sixteenth-century vellum to morocco gilt La Valliere, McCarthy and other eighteenth-century bibliophilic items will be available for participants to handle for closer inspection.

About the series: French bookbindings and bibliophily, 16th-18th centuries

Cambridge institutions are fortunate enough to preserve several important French decorated bookbindings. This series of two lectures and a workshop will detail the development of French gold-tooled bindings from their earliest appearance, with examples taken from Cambridge libraries. They will also focus on the role of the French patrons who encouraged and promoted this extraordinary development.

About the speaker:

A French “archivist-paleographer” trained at the Ecole des Chartes, Isabelle de Conihout worked for twelve years in the Rare Books Department at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, then spent fifteen years as the senior librarian at the Bibliothèque Mazarine. From 2014 to 2017, she was Head of Christie’s Paris Books and Manuscripts Department. In addition to research on first editions and literary libraries, she is particularly interested in the history of collections (cabinets of curiosities, botany and nature printing) and the history of bookbinding (Grolier, Mahieu, Claude de Laubespine, 17th and 18th century bibliophiles).

Workshop is suitable for ages 18 and over.

Booking is essential due to limited spaces.

Cost: Free