The Neal M. Albert Collection of Miniature Design Bindings

Oblong 4to (23.5 × 28.5 cm), XII, 212 pp. Publisher's red cloth, spine lettered in gilt, illustration tipped onto upper cover; cloth slipcase (slipcase lightly dusted and rubbed at extremities). The catalogue of the exhibition at the John Rylands University Library devoted to the remarkable collection of more than 250 miniature designer bindings commissioned by New York collector Neale M. Albert. Each binding houses a book measuring less than one inch in size and represents the work of a leading contemporary hand binder from around the world, including artists from France, Belgium, Sweden, Hungary, Finland, Japan, Israel, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, England, Ireland, Denmark, Argentina, Australia, Malta, Spain, Greece, Canada, and the United States, among others. The catalogue provides detailed descriptions of each binding, frequently incorporating comments and quotations from the binders themselves concerning their techniques, materials, and creative processes. The exhibition and publication continue the distinguished tradition of fine and designer bookbinding exhibitions established by the Grolier Club of New York since 1886; the collection was previously exhibited at the Grolier Club. Contents include Patricia Juvelis's essay About Miniature Designer Bindings; Neale M. Albert's essay On Collecting Miniature Designer Bindings; and the catalogue, arranged in nine thematic sections: Traditional, Variations, Geometric, Abstract, Representational, Gems, Flora & Fauna, Lettering, Diminutive, and Experimental. A significant record of contemporary international bookbinding at its most refined and intimate scale, documenting one of the most important collections of miniature designer bindings assembled in the modern era.…