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After that to a booksellers and bought, for the love of the binding, three books.
—Samuel Pepys

Craftsmanship

Since the development of the codex, a number of arts have been central to the production of the book. These include binding, marbling, gilding and embossing, beautifully embodied in rare works like the State Library of Victoria's 15th century edition of Aristophanis, and an 18th century copy of The Almanach Royal.

While the original purpose of binding books was to protect their pages, the art of fine bookbinding also transformed them into objects of beauty.

French bindings of the 18th century are celebrated as representing the peak of traditional binding crafts, which continued through to the early 20th century with lavish examples like Montmartre Mon Pays, bound with crushed levant morocco, tooled in gold, silver and black, and inlaid in olive morocco.

Japan is renowned for its book arts, from calligraphy to the making of fine papers, woodblock illustration and binding, such as the Library's collection of Seizan Goryu Ikebana Tebikigusa, a series of manuals illustrating various styles of flower arranging.  

Contemporary binders in many countries continue to explore and develop dynamic new forms. In England, prominent British marbler Ann Muir produced Harvesting Colour, detailing her life and work and beautifully illustrated by her own hand-made papers. In Australia, recent examples include the Presentation Album of photographs of the State Library of Victoria, incorporating the famous domed ceiling of the Library’s La Trobe Reading Room in the cover binding.