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The Warm Companionship of A Well Loved Book

The Warm Companionship of A Well Loved Book-The Warm Companionship of A Well-Loved Book Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen, the more select, the more enjoyable! —Louisa May Alcott On a cold winter’s eve, nothing could be more pleasant than to nestle by a warm fire and to immerse oneself in the pages of a well-loved book, enjoying the sweet companionship found within the leaves. Occasions which allow for such leisurely indulgence and pleasant pursuits are particularly enchanting when accompanied by a cup of hot tea and the warm amber glow of twinkling candlelight that gilds the pages in richness, brilliance and splendor. At one time, the reading of a book aloud was a pleasing occupation enjoyed by ladies of refined persuasions, particularly by those who shared similar penchants and literary preferences. Back in the 19th century, book clubs provided ladies an opportunity with which to gather friends, old and dear, and to share in rich conversation about books and novels, as many interesting and lively discussions were sure to follow when a favored chapter was read aloud. For young ladies budding into gracious gentlewomen with a desire for self-improvement, groups referred to as a “Lyceum” provided an afternoon of reading favored poetry and essay collections, either found in a favorite gift book or written by one of the young ladies themselves. These favored passages were so treasured, that oftentimes they were written in one’s finest penmanship and assembled into handmade volumes, with the leaves being carefully sewn, and enclosed in an elaborate cover, lined with silk and embellished with jewel toned ribbons and lace. So generally beloved were these gatherings of friends and fond acquaintances, that a member of “The Book Class” named Ms. Harriet Aldrich once wrote to her friends regarding a quote from St. Augustine, stating, “It is about as good a description of The Book Class as you could find.” To talk and laugh with mutual concessions, to read pleasant books; to jest and to be solemn, to dissent from each other without offence; to reach one another somewhat, or somewhat learn. Properly Caring for Favored Books Those who really care for books are seldom content to restrict them to the library, for nothing adds more to the charm of a drawing-room than a well-designed bookcase: an expanse of beautiful bindings is as decorative as a fine tapestry. —Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman, 1897 Although many believe the library to be the most suitable quarters for one’s collection of favored books and leather bound treasures, others subscribe to the notion that book collections are most pleasing when placed throughout the home, grouped companionably together with favored objects of beauty and sentiment, believing it is the loveliness of little things that imparts substance and life to the home. In the 19th century, books were highly esteemed possessions, particularly by those of literary persuasions, with one writer describing the era as: An age of supreme elegance when no personal belonging was considered trivial, every object—no matter how modest—was treasured. —Susan Benjamin For those possessing a sizeable book collection, whether they were new or old and leather bound, the well-appointed library contained a vast array of stately bookshelves with which to keep them tidy and in order. Oftentimes the volumes were categorized by subject matter, while others were placed in alphabetical order or simply grouped together by a common author. To care for these treasured volumes, certain methods of handling were always observed to preserve their integrity and to keep them in excellent repair. One such method to ensure leather bindings remained intact, was to always retrieve a book by firmly grasping with the whole hand, rather than pulling on its spine. Books were faithfully kept from areas of excessive heat, which tended to make the pages brittle, as well as excessive humidity, which could cause mold and mildew to form. To inhibit dust from gathering, shelf guards were often employed, made from wood, tapestry or other suitable material, and allowed to extend three to four inches from the shelf above to keep dust from collecting on the books below. To keep one’s books in pristine condition, a lovely bookmark or ribbon was always used to mark the page the reader was perusing, rather than turning down the corner edge. To signify the owner of a book, bookplates were commonly used and often reflected the personality of the owner by displaying a symbolic design, and always pasted in the center of the front inside cover of the book. When a book was given as a gift, an inscription was customarily made on the front free endpaper, which is the first blank page of the book, as the title page was usually reserved for the author’s signature, particularly if that page contained only the title of the book. How to Properly Open a Book Hold the book with its back on a smooth or covered table; let the front board down, then the other, holding the leaves in one hand while you open a few leaves at the back, then a few at the front, and so on, alternately opening back and front, gently pressing open the sections till you reach the center of the volume. Do this two or three times and you will obtain the best results. Open the volume violently or carelessly in any one place and you will likely break the back and cause a start in the leaves. Never force the back of the book. —From Modern Bookbinding, 1896 I love everything that’s old; Old friends, old times, old manners, old books… —Oliver Goldsmith
The Warm Companionship of A Well Loved Book-The Warm Companionship of A Well-Loved Book Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen, the more select, the more enjoyable! —Louisa May Alcott On a cold winter’s eve, nothing could be more pleasant than to nestle by a warm fire and to immerse oneself in the pages of a well-loved book, enjoying the sweet companionship found within the leaves. Occasions which allow for such leisurely indulgence and pleasant pursuits are particularly enchanting when accompanied by a cup of hot tea and the warm amber glow of twinkling candlelight that gilds the pages in richness, brilliance and splendor. At one time, the reading of a book aloud was a pleasing occupation enjoyed by ladies of refined persuasions, particularly by those who shared similar penchants and literary preferences. Back in the 19th century, book clubs provided ladies an opportunity with which to gather friends, old and dear, and to share in rich conversation about books and novels, as many interesting and lively discussions were sure to follow when a favored chapter was read aloud. For young ladies budding into gracious gentlewomen with a desire for self-improvement, groups referred to as a “Lyceum” provided an afternoon of reading favored poetry and essay collections, either found in a favorite gift book or written by one of the young ladies themselves. These favored passages were so treasured, that oftentimes they were written in one’s finest penmanship and assembled into handmade volumes, with the leaves being carefully sewn, and enclosed in an elaborate cover, lined with silk and embellished with jewel toned ribbons and lace. So generally beloved were these gatherings of friends and fond acquaintances, that a member of “The Book Class” named Ms. Harriet Aldrich once wrote to her friends regarding a quote from St. Augustine, stating, “It is about as good a description of The Book Class as you could find.” To talk and laugh with mutual concessions, to read pleasant books; to jest and to be solemn, to dissent from each other without offence; to reach one another somewhat, or somewhat learn. Properly Caring for Favored Books Those who really care for books are seldom content to restrict them to the library, for nothing adds more to the charm of a drawing-room than a well-designed bookcase: an expanse of beautiful bindings is as decorative as a fine tapestry. —Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman, 1897 Although many believe the library to be the most suitable quarters for one’s collection of favored books and leather bound treasures, others subscribe to the notion that book collections are most pleasing when placed throughout the home, grouped companionably together with favored objects of beauty and sentiment, believing it is the loveliness of little things that imparts substance and life to the home. In the 19th century, books were highly esteemed possessions, particularly by those of literary persuasions, with one writer describing the era as: An age of supreme elegance when no personal belonging was considered trivial, every object—no matter how modest—was treasured. —Susan Benjamin For those possessing a sizeable book collection, whether they were new or old and leather bound, the well-appointed library contained a vast array of stately bookshelves with which to keep them tidy and in order. Oftentimes the volumes were categorized by subject matter, while others were placed in alphabetical order or simply grouped together by a common author. To care for these treasured volumes, certain methods of handling were always observed to preserve their integrity and to keep them in excellent repair. One such method to ensure leather bindings remained intact, was to always retrieve a book by firmly grasping with the whole hand, rather than pulling on its spine. Books were faithfully kept from areas of excessive heat, which tended to make the pages brittle, as well as excessive humidity, which could cause mold and mildew to form. To inhibit dust from gathering, shelf guards were often employed, made from wood, tapestry or other suitable material, and allowed to extend three to four inches from the shelf above to keep dust from collecting on the books below. To keep one’s books in pristine condition, a lovely bookmark or ribbon was always used to mark the page the reader was perusing, rather than turning down the corner edge. To signify the owner of a book, bookplates were commonly used and often reflected the personality of the owner by displaying a symbolic design, and always pasted in the center of the front inside cover of the book. When a book was given as a gift, an inscription was customarily made on the front free endpaper, which is the first blank page of the book, as the title page was usually reserved for the author’s signature, particularly if that page contained only the title of the book. How to Properly Open a Book Hold the book with its back on a smooth or covered table; let the front board down, then the other, holding the leaves in one hand while you open a few leaves at the back, then a few at the front, and so on, alternately opening back and front, gently pressing open the sections till you reach the center of the volume. Do this two or three times and you will obtain the best results. Open the volume violently or carelessly in any one place and you will likely break the back and cause a start in the leaves. Never force the back of the book. —From Modern Bookbinding, 1896 I love everything that’s old; Old friends, old times, old manners, old books… —Oliver Goldsmith
The Warm Companionship of A Well Loved Book

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