| Now we come to the last binding in the Bibliotheque Nationale collection of example Derome le jeune bindings none of which turned out to have been decorated by Derome. This last binding is a retrospective one that is so nondescript that any number of binders could have made it and it would be nearly impossible to say who.There are no distinctive gold tooled imprints on the outside but very fortunately this binding was made so that the interior of the boards could also be tooled, leather being placed inside as well, (doublure) now the gold tooling on the inside is more like what we would expect from this period, with tools much easier to identify (shown above) |
| Here is where we are shocked to find not the tools of Derome but rather some tools that are those of Dubuisson! Although this sounds like a fantastic and hard to believe turn of affairs I can prove that at least two of the major tools used here are Dubuisson's. In as much as we are lead to believe that Dubuisson died before this bindings was even made, we cannot assert that Pierre-Paul Dubuisson decorated this binding. However my research shows that there are in existence a number of bindings decorated with his tools after his death. What we can assume is that the elder Dubuisson who survived his son by a good few years carried on the business and perhaps employed someone else to do the work, or he did it himself. Whatever the case it seems very doubtful that Derome had anything to do with the decoration of this binding. and even if he did this would then be one of the least representative bindings that could ever be call a Derome! |
| When I was examining very carefully the tools of Dubuisson I notice a strange sort of aberration in an imprint that I had classified as pd-1. Looking at this imprint greatly enlarged, I noticed some lines or grooves running across the top, I collected all the examples i could find and was able to verify this flaw or imperfecttion, I never realized just how important this observation might turn out to be until now. (see Comparative Diagram 1) |
| In Comparative Diagram 2 we can observe the same defects in the imprints that I have downloaded with Gallica from binding B4873(BIS), convincing proof that these imprints derive from Dubuisson's tools. Some years ago in an an attempt to confirm the identy if imprints I devised an overlay system shown below in Comparative Diagram 3. |
| In my overlay experiments it was easier to see the fit of the two imprints by moving one slightly to one side. There are a number of reasons why no two imprints will be exactly identical, a close match however, is easy to recognize. |
| In Comparative Diagram 5, I show another obvious Dubuisson tool found in this B-4873 binding |
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To conclude we must lament the sorry state of the Bibliotheque Nationale to have made such a mess of the work of Derome le jeune. No wonder bookbinding experts worldwide have made so many errors when it comes to Derome. One particular present day expert comes to mind, Mirjam M. Foot, who is known as one of the most respected bookbinding experts, has fallen into this trap.
see the next page - Epilogue click here to return to the INDEX of new pages. see the links below to previous work |
| Even experts are sometimes wrong, before you spend thousands on a book, please do your own research! Just because I say a certain binding can be attributed to le Maitre isn't any kind of guarantee, don't take my word for it, go a step further and get your own proof. In these pages I have provided you with a way of doing just that. |
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