Selected English Masonic Bookbindings
Name
eBLJ_2022_article_3_Marks_VoR-BY.pdf
Description
visibility:open
Size
17.62 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (CRC64NVME)
gSSiAPTbJ6U=
Resource type
Journal article
Creator (person)
Marks, P. J. M.
Date published
September 22, 2022
Abstract
Books as artefacts, as well as the texts that they contain, play a fundamental role in English freemasonry. The esteem in which they were held is shown in paintings. This
detail comes from a portrait of freemason Dr Robert Crucefix (1797-1850) who is shown with significant items of regalia as well as the masonic bindings. Bound Bibles, masonic texts, minute books or accounts ledgers were often given lavish decoration and were frequently presented as gifts to brother freemasons and to the lodges themselves. Donors paid for the most costly leather they could afford (commonly grained goatskin or calf or cheaper leathers made to resemble them) and specified particular types of ornamentation, such as gold tooled masonic motifs or lettering with the donor’s and recipient’s masonic membership details.
Journal title
Electronic British Library Journal
Volume
2022
Article number
3
Publisher
British Library
Place of publication
London, UK
eISSN
1478-0259
Date accepted
March 23, 2022
Official URL
Additional information
Author note: P. J. M. Marks is Curator, Historic Bookbindings, British and Early Printed Collections, The British Library.
Collection