College and Research Libraries


Books About Books 
The Hand-Produced Book. B y D a v i d D i r i n -

ger. N e w Y o r k , Philosophical L i b r a r y , 
1953- $15. 

Von Buechern und Bibliotheken (Of Books 
and Libraries). B y R i c h a r d M u m m e n d e y . 
Bonn, Buchgemeinde, 1950. D M 1 4 . 5 0 (c. 
$3-75) 

Die Illustratierten Vogel-Biicher, ihre 
Geschichte und Bibliographie (Illustrated 
Bird Books, their History and Bibliogra-
phy). B y C l a u s s Nissen. S t u t t g a r t , 
H i e r s e m a n n , 1 9 5 3 . 2 2 2 p. D M 60 (c. 
$15.) 

Fine Bird Books 1700-1900. B y S a c h e v e r e l l 
Sitwell, H a n d a s y d e B u c h a n a n and J a m e s 
F i s h e r . London and N e w Y o r k , Collins & 
V a n N o s t r a n d , 1 9 5 3 . 
T w o observations of general interest can 

be made about the books to be discussed here. 
One is the f a c t that our knowledge of the his-
tory of the book, slowly but surely, is taking 
on global proportions. W e are f r e e i n g o u r -
selves f r o m a perspective traditionally limited 
to the w e s t e r n civilization. L e a d i n g scholars 
are seeing more and more of the contributions 
of the many separate cultures that have con-
tributed to the g r o w t h of the book as a vital 
instrument of intellectual g r o w t h and they 
are beginning to trace their .mutual inter-
action. 

T h e other observation is the g r o w i n g 
volume of sound scholarship contributed by 
A m e r i c a n archaeologists, paleographers, art 
historians and students of graphic com-
munication. 

D a v i d D i r i n g e r ' s The Hand-Produced 
Book is a b e a u t i f u l example of widening 
horizons. T h e picture that emerges b e f o r e 
the reader of this astonishingly rich and varied 
collection of m a t e r i a l f r o m all over the w o r l d 
is the most complete one ever painted of the 
birth and rise of the book f r o m early be-
ginnings to the advent of printing. I t has 
excellent illustrations. T h e w o r k is con-
ceived as a companion volume to the same 
author's The Alphabet, and is to be f o l l o w e d 
by f u t u r e studies on binding and illumination. 

C e r t a i n defects of The Hand-Produced 
Book cannot be overlooked. I t s u f f e r s through-
out f r o m the lack of a clear definition of the 
book as a specific combination of function and 
f o r m . A s a result the thread of continuity 

is often submerged in general discussions of 
other f o r m s of communication. A l s o , it is 
neither quite a supplement to The Alphabet 
nor yet really an independent w o r k , as be-
comes evident to anyone w h o reads it without 
a copy of the other w o r k at hand to r e f e r to. 
T o o often, developments are dealt with in 
subdivisions instead of as part of the main 
story, which t h e r e f o r e becomes hard to trace. 
T h e revolutionary change f r o m roll to codex, 
f o r instance, does not emerge with sufficient 
c l a r i t y ; the f a c t that bookbinding is reserved 
f o r another volume leaves a serious gap at 
this vital point. C e r t a i n inconsistencies of 
a r r a n g e m e n t also tend to confuse the reader. 
F o r instance, a section on " ' T h e B o o k ' of the 
M i d d l e A g e s " precedes r a t h e r than f o l l o w s 
C h a p t e r I V , " G r e e k and L a t i n B o o k P r o d u c -
tion." I t also appears that the medieval 
period as a whole is not covered as thoroughly 
and as understandingly as the pre-Christian 
and early Christian developments. P a l e o g r a -
phy is treated rather superficially and the 
presentation of the A n g l o - S a x o n contribution, 
important as it is, f a r overshadows continental 
developments. 

I n trying to evaluate the effect of these de-
ficiencies it is probably f a i r to say that The 
Hand-Produced Book w i l l not lend itself 
too w e l l to the purposes of a reader w h o de-
sires a general introduction to the subject, 
nor, indeed, to text-book needs. I t s real 
value, it seems to me, lies in its vast accumula-
tion of facts, excellently illustrated. I t w i l l 
be a most u s e f u l reference w o r k f o r many 
y e a r s to come. I f considered and consulted 
as a specialized encyclopedia it w i l l prove its 
unique qualities. 

D r . R i c h a r d M u m m e n d e y ' s book, by con-
trast, is organized as a f a i r l y brief survey 
and general introduction to the story of books 
and libraries, mainly in E u r o p e . I n the l a t t e r 
portions of this w o r k , dealing with l i b r a r i a n -
ship, G e r m a n conditions are f e a t u r e d . T h e 
illustrations are chosen with care and, again, 
with special interest in the w o r k s of G e r m a n 
artists. W i t h some change of emphasis and 
certain n e w chapters, including A m e r i c a n 
developments, the book could probably be 
adapted f o r the use of students in this country. 

C l a u s s Nissen's w o r k on botanical illustra-
tion (reviewed in the J u l y , 1 9 5 2 issue of this 
j o u r n a l ) has made many friends f o r its re-
liable bibliography and the thorough exposi-

354 COI.LEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



tion of one of the most important branches 
of the illustration of n a t u r a l history. 
N i s s e n ' s n e w w o r k , the Illustrated Bird 
Books, appears as the f i r s t contribution 
t o w a r d s a projected record of all zoological 
illustration. T h e bibliographical section in 
the second half of the present v o l u m e is a 
combination of the e a r l i e r w o r k s of A n k e r , 
Z i m m e r , C o u e s , M u l l e n s , S w a n n and R o n s i l ; 
as such it w i l l be f o u n d a most u s e f u l w o r k i n g 
tool. F o r the text, in the f i r s t half of the 
volume, the a u t h o r m a k e s no claim to a 
r w r i t i n g of the history of o r n i t h o l o g y ; 
r a t h e r , he concentrates on its illustration, 
linking it up in a f r e s h and penetrating 
manner w i t h the g e n e r a l history of a r t and 
g r a p h i c documentation. H e pays special atten-
tion to the w e a l t h of n e w studies on the 
p r o g r e s s of n a t u r a l representation in the 
ancient and m e d i e v a l w o r l d and in the e a r l y 
R e n a i s s a n c e . I t is here, in the many f o o t n o t e s 
quoting publications of recent y e a r s , that the 
r e a d e r is impressed w i t h the v o l u m e and 
quality of A m e r i c a n scholarship in a field so 
long dominated by the E u r o p e a n specialist. 

A l t h o u g h N i s s e n centers his attention 
chiefly on the W e s t e r n tradition, he remains 
a l e r t to the influence of A s i a . H e recog-
nizes in the N e a r E a s t an important bridge 
to the ancient w o r l d . T h e importance of the 
F a r E a s t remains enigmatic, since at present 
w e do not k n o w " w h e t h e r these countries 
have produced a method of scientific repre-
sentation s i m i l a r to o u r s b e f o r e their e x -
posure to w e s t e r n science." 

T h e book has 7 line illustrations in the 
t e x t and 27 illustrations on 1 6 h a l f t o n e plates. 
E s p e c i a l l y c h a r m i n g a r e d r a w i n g s by a living 
artist, F r a n z M u r r , w h o deserves to be better 
k n o w n in these p a r t s . T h e subdivisions of the 
text, presented only as running heads, could 
have been emphasized by a more distinct 
typographic t r e a t m e n t . M e n t i o n should be 
made of three c a r e f u l l y p r e p a r e d indices, ( 1 ) 
of artists ( w i t h key numbers f o r d r a f t s -
men, e n g r a v e r s , lithographers, photographers, 

etc.) ; ( 2 ) of b i r d s ; ( 3 ) of countries ( c h r o n o -
logical lists of the most important publica-
t i o n s ; and ( 4 ) of authors. 

B y an amusing coincidence C l a u s s N i s s e n ' s 
bird book, like his w o r k on botanical i l l u s t r a -
tion, appeared practically simultaneously w i t h 
a book published on the same subject in E n g -
land. B u t w h e r e a s W i l f r i d B l u n t ' s c h a r m i n g 
a n d i n s p i r i n g Art of Botanical Illustration 
( a l s o r e v i e w e d here in the J u l y , 1 9 5 2 issue) 
w a s more g e n e r a l and perhaps more p o p u l a r 
in appeal than C l a u s s N i s s e n ' s scholarly 
volume, the c u r r e n t E n g l i s h counter-piece to 
his Illustrated Bird Books is d e c i d e d l y a 
publication of more limited appeal. 

T h e main point of distinction is that the 
Fine Bird Books a d d r e s s e s i t s e l f to t h e 
collector r a t h e r than to the scholar or bibli-
o g r a p h e r . S a c h e v e r e l l S i t w e l l ' s introduction is 
a lively l i t e r a r y essay, w i t h interesting auto-
biographical notes, r a t h e r than an objective 
history. T h e y e a r s 1 7 0 0 - 1 9 0 0 a r e chosen as 
the period of the de-luxe publication of f o l i o s 
w i t h magnificent color plates. T h e present 
v o l u m e recaptures some of their g l o r y in 38 
reproductions of which 1 6 a r e in color, 
selected perhaps r a t h e r f o r their magnificence 
and splendor than f o r their artistic accomplish-
ment. 

T h e bibliography is f o c u s e d upon the " f i n e " 
book, " o n e which is finely produced. W e l l 
printed on hand-made paper, p r e f e r a b l y finely 
bound, it should be enjoyable to look at and 
to handle. T h e pictures must not only be 
w e l l d r a w n but reproduced as n e a r p e r f e c t 
as possible . . . the n e a r e r these can be to l i f e 
size the m o r e agreeable they w i l l b e . " T h i s 
l a t t e r criterion is a little startling. P o o r 
T h o m a s B e w i c k ! A n d a little startling, too, 
is a merit system of B a e d e k e r s t a r s devised 
here by a f o r u m which consists of one 
ornithologist and one b o o k s e l l e r : O n e s t a r 
" * " f o r " f i n e " b o o k s ; t w o s t a r s " * * " f o r " v e r y 
f i n e " b o o k s ; three s t a r s " * * * " f o r the finest 
books. H o w fine can you g e t ? — H e l l m u t Leh-
mann-Haupt, New York. 

Foreign Libraries 
H a r a l d T v e t e r a s has succeeded W i l h e l m L i b r a r y . M r . T v e t e r a s w a s f o r m e r l y one of 

M u n t h e as director of the U n i v e r s i t y of O s l o the head l i b r a r i a n s . 

JULY, 1954 
32 7