Books are cherished for many reasons: the knowledge they contain, the adventures they unveil, and, sometimes, for their aesthetic qualities. The Bookbinders Museum's Bound for Beauty: Highlights from the Kathleen V. Roberts Collection of Decorated Publishers' Bindings invites viewers to browse beautiful book bindings from the Industrial Revolution onward. Located in San Francisco, the Bookbinders Museum's mission is to "tell the story of the book." This digital collection does just that, sharing how "publishers' use of color, style, and design was affected by major social events such as the Civil War, the opening of Japan to the West, and the employment of women, and visual influences such as Victorian opulence, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco movements." Readers can enjoy nearly 100 beautiful book covers and bindings, including bindings for classics such as Little Women and Aesop's Fables. Small icons and pictures of each item in the collection allow for easy browsing. Clicking on a book reveals additional details, such as the book's author, illustrator, and publisher, as well as notes on the binding itself.
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