Bound with France: French bindings on Baskerville editions and their owners

This talk will investigate the
connection between Baskerville
and France through a study
of the bindings of his editions.
Baskerville was, reputedly,
appreciated in France where
his books were purchased and
collected. However, little attention
has been given to the bindings
of the volumes bought by French
collectors. A study of these bindings,
based on an analysis of the
materials and techniques used,
the decorative styles, and their
provenance, can help reconstruct
the history of their manufacture
and help us understand when and
by whom his books were collected
in France. Did French collectors
buy Baskerville’s editions during
his lifetime and did they continue
after his death? Were the
volumes bound in France or were
they received in English bindings
and kept as such? Finally, what
can the binding tell us about the
economic status and the taste of
these French collectors, depending
on the level of refinement of their
books?