British Bookbinding Today.

British Bookbinding Today. Foss, Pitlochry: K. D. Duval 1975. With an introduction by Edgar Mansfield. Catalogue. Profusely llustrated in colour and b&w throughout (mostly in colour). Printed by Martino Mardersteig, Verona. Original printed wrappers. Fine copy, as issued. Dealer Notes: From the introduction to a subsequent (1980) catalogue on similar lines: "It may be remembered that in 1975 two discerning booksellers, Kulgin Duval and Colin Hamilton brought together a collection of thirty nine contemporary British bookbindings, described in a catalogue entitled British Bookbinding Today, itself beautifully designed and printed in Verona by Martino Mardersteig in December 1975.The 1975 collection spanned the whole field applying only a standard of high quality. The bindings varied from those that were strongly traditional in material, technique and concept, to those more concerned with pushing the 'craft' of binding more into the realms previously reserved for the 'artist'." From the Prospectus: "This is a Catalogue of thirty-nine designed bookbindings by twenty three binders working in Britain today. With two exceptions all the bindings offered in the catalogue were specially commissioned from the various binders and executed by them during the past two years. The catalogue shows the impressive range of activity in British bookbinding today, and virtually every important binder is represented. .The catalogue is arranged in the alphabetical order of the binders names; a brief biographical account of each binder is given, followed by a statement by the binder on his or her attitude to binding, frequently with particular reference to the book bound for this collection. A description of the book bound is given, and every binding is illustrated in colour. There are twenty two pages of colour illustration, and there are several half tone blocks from some of the more important books, in the text.".…