Susanne Schulz-Falster Rare Books A magnificent collection of forty ...

later productions increased the number from a few to up to twenty different
borders, repeated not in a haphazard but carefully orchestrated order. Unified
themes run through the series of borders, both in subject matter and in style.
Similar books had been produced already in the earlier part of the century,
but these later productions are of particular significance. Not only was ever
greater emphasis placed on artistic decoration, but two features emerged
which ‘may be proposed as distinctive Venetian contributions to the modern
history of the illustrated book: first the comprehensive decoration of books
through open, free-floating, figurative borders enlivening every page, text as
well as plate; and second, decorative paper bindings especially created for
individual books or editions.’ (Robison, p. 353).
Most of the books contained in this collection are in their original highly
decorative publisher’s binding, paper wrappers or boards, exactly the way
they were issued. Most of these are decorated with woodcuts or stencilprinted
armorial designs or embossed patterns. These bindings demonstrate
the other distinctive Venetian contribution to book history, ‘the practice of
preparing a distinctive binding for individual editions… which is generally
regarded a result of nineteenth century industrialisation. However, as can be
seen in the sample of the eighteenth century Venetian books, this practice of
edition binding began earlier’. ‘These individual bindings were
characteristically decorative. … The Venetian designs had distinct sections for
the front cover, the spine, and the back cover. The cover designs always had
borders framing reserved central areas. An ornamental shield with the
general monogram VV (Viva Venezia), a figurative vignette appropriate to the
family, or an ornamental shield with the specific arms or monogram of the
celebrant to whom the book was dedicated is often found on the lower cover.
The front cover, however, always had an ornamental shield containing the
specific arms of the celebrated nobleman for an ingresso, or in the case of a
wedding, the arms of one of both of the celebrating spouses.’ (Robison p.
354).
In some cases more than one publication accompanied a given event. Cover
designs were re-used, with distinctive colour combinations. Binding designs
were implemented in varying degrees of lavishness, with the most extravagant
embossed in gilt on card, whereas the more ‘learned’ contribution appeared in
a matching binding, but printed in black or a single colour. There is one
instance of the design being printed on silk, again with the related binding in
the same design but on paper.
Also included in the collection is a very rare engraved broadside announcing
the event to be celebrated. Because of the their transitory nature only very few
of these broadsides have survived. A full catalogue is available on request.
Background: Venice was the largest publishing centre in Italy during the
final years of the Venetian Republic in the eighteenth century. Its pre-eminent
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