| The reproduction of the binding shown above is found in the Librairie Sourget catalogue Livres précieux, No. XXII. published in the year 2000 by Patrick et Elisabeth Sourget. Here is a fantastic discovery this binding that bares the arms of President Henault was almost certainly bound shortly after the publication of his book in 1765. More than 10 years ago I bought and scanned a very similar binding, now I cannot find my notes on this binding but I still have the 1200 dpi scan, and an original photo titled 1764, which I now assume to be the publication date. This binding set me off on a 10 year search to try to find the identity of this binder. I found many bindings made with these tools which are a mixture containing some of Pierre-Paul Dubuisson's tools. In 2017 I found enough proof to proclaim that the author of these bindings was Pierre Delorme. |
| The binding shown above is found in Catalogue XVI de la Librairie Sourget, 1997 MANUSCRITS ET LIVRES PRECIEUX. It may be that this binding was also bound in 1764, in Comparative Diagram 3 we see many shared imprints, however there are differences that might suggest that one of these bindings was made earlier or later than the other. |
| The binding shown above is found in LA BIBLIOTHEQUE DE RAHIR EDOUARD - TROISIEME PARTIE Paris, 1935. This binding could have been made in 1762 or perhaps a little later, however we see here some of Pierre-Paul Dubuisson's favorite tools, even though he was no longer alive. This is a very imortant fact to grasp, the person who decorated this binding was using Dubuisson tools mixed with his own. Our research of tracking these tools has lead us to the the inescapable conclusion that these non Dubusson tools belong to Pierre Delorme who in 1769 proclaimed himself as Dubuisson's successor. Below in Comparative Diagram 4 we can see the Dubuisson imprints compared with the 1762 examples that do show some wear and tear and or perhaps deliberate alterations, i.e. the collar of pd-2. |
| Here is something amazing, within these few bindings, we find linking imprints that will prove to be a huge revelation that few are aware of. These imprints from Dubuisson's tools and Delormes tools are found in most if not all of the mosaic bindings that were created from 1760 to 1770 and beyond. These bindings many of which contain Derome tickets were decorated by Delorme. There is no trace of Derome tools on any of these bindings, we might be able to say that Derome may have been the binder, but he was not the decorator, and what is to make us imagine that he even bothered to do the bindings himself instead of delegating the work and collecting the money rolling in. Here is going to be a big shock to the Bibliophile world, these wonderful mosaic bindings are not the work of Derome le jeune, these widely aclaimed masterpieces have been created by Pierre Delorme. |
|
click here to return to the HOME page. click here to see an INDEX of the 2017 pages. see below links 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. |
| Virtual Bookings, created by L. A. Miller | return to the Home page of VIRTUAL BOOKBINDINGS |