Binding by Arthur Gaskin for ‘Good King Wenceslas’

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Cloth binding for Good King Wenceslas

Arthur Gaskin

1895

Card binding

10½ x 7¾ inches

This extraordinary binding exemplifies the Birmingham School’s plainness and functionality. Rejecting the elaborate pattern making of the 90s, Gaskin’s cover is made of a light blue card, with a printed panel, struck from wood-engraving, in the top left hand corner. [Commentary continues below.]

Photograph and text by Simon Cooke. [Click on image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

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The image of the king and his page are reduced to the barest essentials, embodying the book’s theme in simplified lines and blocked contrasts. As usual in Arts and Crafts design, nature acts as a metaphor for the imagination, creativity and emotional well-being. The interlocked arabesque on the title-panel is a prime example of this sort of uplifting sign-making; the fruit-bearing trees and untidily radiating plants in the foreground project the same positive message of growth and harmony.

Bibliography

Gaskin, Arthur. Good King Wenceslas. Birmingham: Cornish, 1895.

Created 11 July 2020