The art of bookbinding by Joseph Zaehnsdorf (1853-1930)

Joseph W. Zaehnsdorf (1853-1930) inherited his father's bookbinding firm in 1882. In his manual on The art of bookbinding, published in 1880, he hoped to 'advance the beautiful art of bookbinding'. His detailed description of the process from folding the printed sheets to adding the finishing flourishes on the covers leaves us in little doubt of the skill and artistry required to bind a book.