An Essay in the History of Gold-Tooled
Bindings by Herbert P. Horne
London 1894
should be supplied by the publisher. The book should not be rounded; still less should it be
backed, which is an unnecessary operation in temporary bindings, and often the cause of
irreparable mischief. In permanently binding a book, this temporary backing has to be struck out
with the hammer; and the sections, when backed a second time, are apt to take their old form,
which in most cases is the wrong one, having been fashioned without proper care, or by
machinery. Lastly, the edges of a cased book should not be cut. In brief; nothing should be done
in temporary binding, but what is necessary; and what is necessary should be perfectly done.
COLLATION - The next stage is the collation of the book, to ensure that all the sheets are in
their proper sequence, according to the signatures of the several quires, or sections. In our
modern practice, these signatures generally consist of letters, which are placed at the foot of the
first page of each quire. The signature of the first quire of the text is ordinarily B, the title-page
and preliminary matter being reckoned as A. The letters J, v, and w, are not often used; and
when the remaining letters of the alphabet have been exhausted, AA is used for a second, Aa
for a third epetition. Particular attention must be given to the illation of any inserted leaves, for
which special lrectIOns are generally furnished to the binder. The collation of old books, where
irregular signatures are frequent, obviously requires peculiar knowledge; but the principles of
collation may best be understood, by reading such a volume as Mr. Jacobi's admirable little
volume of Notes on Books and Printing, or the French treatise of Dudin, where such matters are
set forth at great length.
BEATING, OR PRESSING - Formerly, after the book had been collated, it was beaten. For this
purpose, a beating-stone and hammer were used: the beating stone, which, despite its name,
was sometimes an iron slab, was securely bedded, and possessed a perfectly smooth face. The
hammer was small-handled, and heavy-headed. That end of the head, which was used for
beating, was considerably larger than the other; and, like the stone, required to be perfectly
smooth, and scrupulously clean. Two or more sections of the book, according to their thickness,
were then laid on the stone, between two sheets of paper, and equally beaten over the whole
of their surface. To ensure this equality, the sheets were continually moved round by the left
hand; while the hammer was held in the right Unless great care was taken, that the face of the
hammer should fall evenly upon the surface of the sheets, the edge of the hammer was apt to
break the paper.