| The image and text shown above are from Seymour De Ricci 1935 publication entitled French signed bindings in the Mortimer L. Schiff Collection. Volume 2 page 208 Item 103 GAUDREAU. I am not in love with Ricci's work but thankful to have this precious copy of a signed Gaudreau, which I have resized according to the measurements given, thus it is shown here at 150 dpi and enlarges to 300 dpi. While the enlarged detail shown below is at 300 dpi and can be enlarged to 600 dpi. Thanks to the heilogravure method of reproduction, the images can be enlarged without image loss. We see here then, a very accurate picture of Gaudreau's imprints. |
| This is a large folio volume that Gaudreau executed by at least 1780, he had been at this time binding books for over 24 years and well recognized as the Queen's binder. In Comparative Diagram I show the spines of two largish volumes, that have been signed by Gaudreau and executed possibly around the same period, they share common imprints, and overal design similarities. |
| After more or less exhausting the internet examples of signed Gaudreau bindings, I started looking through the Calalogues of LIBRARIE SOURGET. In Catalogue number XIX, 1999, page 440, Lot 172, you find a really big example, so big I could not scan all of it but from the part I did scan you will get an idea of these giant books that are 50 cm tall. These bindings were produced sometime after 1786, here we see a new range imprints. |
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| 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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