Do you keep the horsehide on Far Away and Long Ago
Talk George Macy devotees
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1klamerin
A question for those of you who own Far Away and Long Ago.
Some time ago I got a cheap copy of "Far Away and Long Ago" for rebinding as the back hinge was completely broken and the text block separated. Other than that the book is in quite good condition (apart from the browning of the edges of the pages, but I haven't seen a copy without it) and the cover itself is in better shape than most I've seen - the leather section is not cracked and the horsehide does not have any patches of missing fur that this book usually has (it's funny but this is probably the book with the most repulsive copies for sale I've seen=)
And since I will be taking the book to a binder I am wondering what to do - should I only fix the hinge problem, or completely rebind it in leather (there are no binders locally that can do the elaborate design of let's say leccol's books, so the only option is cheap and bland leather, I've already done it for the 30' Notre-Dame, the results are average).
What have others done in this situation? The horsehide, though an ingenious idea, does seem a bit disgusting 80 years later even in relatively good shape and I guess it will only get worse with time.
Some time ago I got a cheap copy of "Far Away and Long Ago" for rebinding as the back hinge was completely broken and the text block separated. Other than that the book is in quite good condition (apart from the browning of the edges of the pages, but I haven't seen a copy without it) and the cover itself is in better shape than most I've seen - the leather section is not cracked and the horsehide does not have any patches of missing fur that this book usually has (it's funny but this is probably the book with the most repulsive copies for sale I've seen=)
And since I will be taking the book to a binder I am wondering what to do - should I only fix the hinge problem, or completely rebind it in leather (there are no binders locally that can do the elaborate design of let's say leccol's books, so the only option is cheap and bland leather, I've already done it for the 30' Notre-Dame, the results are average).
What have others done in this situation? The horsehide, though an ingenious idea, does seem a bit disgusting 80 years later even in relatively good shape and I guess it will only get worse with time.
2Django6924
Do you intend to read the book (it's worth it!)? If so, then a rebind will probably be best as it sounds like it's ready to fall apart.
But I have always maintained (and Don and I used to argue about this frequently), that the Limited Editions Club under Macy was promoting the Art of the Book, perhaps emphasizing design over content in many cases. Far Away and Long Ago is one of the Club's books that illustrates his belief that the binding of a book should somehow reflect the contents.
Perhaps from the standpoint of practicality it was as ill-considered as the transparent plastic slipcase on Looking Backward which shrunk to the point where the book couldn't be removed, but in my opinion, the binding makes this edition a design triumph, so I would probably try to find a bindery who could reuse the existing horsehide, since it appears to be in good condition.
But I have always maintained (and Don and I used to argue about this frequently), that the Limited Editions Club under Macy was promoting the Art of the Book, perhaps emphasizing design over content in many cases. Far Away and Long Ago is one of the Club's books that illustrates his belief that the binding of a book should somehow reflect the contents.
Perhaps from the standpoint of practicality it was as ill-considered as the transparent plastic slipcase on Looking Backward which shrunk to the point where the book couldn't be removed, but in my opinion, the binding makes this edition a design triumph, so I would probably try to find a bindery who could reuse the existing horsehide, since it appears to be in good condition.
3Glacierman
>1 klamerin: I have the same situation as you. When/if I can afford it, I'll have a bindery put it back together as originally published, but maybe with a few modifications.
And that's cowhide, not horse.
And that's cowhide, not horse.
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