asure, to the work of Mr. Cobden-Sanderson,
there is in England the germ of a sound tradition for the best
binding. The Report of the Committee appointed by the Society of Arts
to investigate the cause of the decay of modern leather bindings,
should tend to establish a sound tradition for cheaper work. The third
specification at the end of this book is practically the same as that
given in their Report, and was arrived at by selection, after many
libraries had been examined, and many forms of binding compared.

Up to the end of the eighteenth century the traditional methods of
binding books had altered very little during three hundred years.
Books were generally sewn round five cords, the ends of all of these
laced into the boards, and the leather attached directly to the back.
At the end of the eighteenth century it became customary to pare down
leather until it was as thin as paper, and soon afterwards the use of
hollow backs and false bands became general, and these two things
together mark the beginning of the modern degradation of binding, so
far as its utility as a protection is concerned.

The Society of Arts Committee report that the bookbinders must share
with the leather manufacturers and librarians the blame for the
premature decay of modern bindings, because--

"1. Books are sewn on too few, and too thin cords, and the slips are
pared down unduly (for the sake of neatness), and are not in all cases
firmly laced into the boards. This renders the attachment of the
boards to the book almost entirely dependent on the strength of the
leather.

"2. The use of hollow backs throws all the strain of opening and
shutting on the joints, and renders the back liable to come right off
if the book is much used.

"3. The leather of the back is apt to become torn through the use of
insufficiently strong headbands, which are unable to stand the strain
of the book being taken from the shelf.

"4. It is a common practice to use far too thin leather; especially to
use large thick skins very much pared down for small books.

"5. The leather is often made very wet and stretched a great deal in
covering, with the result that on drying it is further strained,
almost to breaking point, by contraction, leaving a very small margin
of strength to meet the accidents of use."

The history of the general introduction of hollow backs is probably
somewhat as follows: Leather was doubtless first chosen for covering
the backs of book