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Bookbinding information on the Web
Alberto Campagnolo, PhD
Digital Humanities MMW Fellow Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel
Digital Medievalist Director
alberto.campagnolo@gmail.com
@acampagnolo
HAB - Stipendiatenkolloquium
4th July 2016
from pixels to Linked Open Data

04/07/2016 HAB - Stipendiatenkolloquium 3
History of
bookbinding
Significance of
bookbinding
Bookbindings
on the Web
Semantic Web
Semantic Web
& bindings

History of Bookbinding

04/07/2016 HAB -Stipendiatenkolloquium 5
Levels of research
What is considered Methodological
approach
External only visible elements (cover; decoration, furniture) Art history
Internal (& external) structures and materials Archaeological

Levels of research
approach
External only visible elements (cover: decoration) Art history

HAB -Stipendiatenkolloquium 7
Levels of research
approach
Internal (& external) structures and materials Archæological
04/07/2016

approach
Levels of research

Levels of research
Up to the 1970s
History of bookbinding = History of bookbinding decoration

http://hist-einband.de/

Archæology of the book: a young discipline
In spite of the great amount of literature,‘far fewer people [can] give a reasoned opinion on the
country of origin and the approximate date of an old bookbinding, than a piece of pottery or
furniture.’
(Goldschmidt 1928)
Literature

Signiﬁcance of Bookbinding

Limited number of basic structures

gatherings
endleaves
sewing
edges
boards
spine shape
spine lining
endbands
cover
furniture

Limited number of basic structures
Gathering assembly
Endleaf structure
Sewing
Edges
Boards
Spine profile
Spine lining
Endbands
Covering
Furniture
Number of permutations
seems countless
BUT

Reasons for the variety
1. Processes evolve and are adjusted over time

In different geographic locations:
2a. Different solutions for similar problems
2b. Different materials employed

In different geographic locations:
2a. Different solutions for similar problems
2b. Different materials employed
3. Special techniques taught as trade secrets within workshops

A practical example: sewing direction
1
2
3
4
HEAD
‘Germany’: from the last to the first gathering

4
3
2
1
HEAD
Rest of Europe: from the first to the last gathering
1
2
3
4

1
2
3
4
HEAD

Resource
production
Cataloguers
can’t describe
bookbindings
Catalogues
ignore binding
information
Experts lack
bookbinding
information
Manuals on
bindings are
not produced

https://list.indiana.edu/sympa/arc/sharp-l/2016-06/msg00139.html

I am not sure if you are looking for information about the decoration of the binding or about how it is made.
If the latter, you will not find much that is published, but, whatever the decoration may suggest, it is the
structural details that are likely to be more useful - German binders worked in different ways from their
continental neighbours. However, you will not find easily available information about this from
the published literature. If you can make some photographs available, it might be possible to offer more
help.
With best wishes
Nicholas Pickwoad
*[Emphasis mine]

Bookbindings on the Web

Cod. Guelf. 11.1 Aug. 4°

10.7 Physical Description
Under the general heading ‘physical description’ we subsume a large number of different aspects
generally regarded as useful in the description of a given manuscript. These include:
aspects of the form, support, extent, and quire structure of the manuscript object and of the way
in which the text is laid out on the page (10.7.1 Object Description);
the styles of writing, such as the way it is laid out on the page, the styles of writing, decorative
features, any musical notation employed and any annotations or marginalia (10.7.2 Writing,
Decoration, and Other Notations);
and discussion of its binding, seals, and any accompanying material (10.7.3 Bindings, Seals, and
Additional Material).
•bindingDesc (binding description) describes the present and former bindings of a manuscript,
either as a series of paragraphs or as a series of distinct binding elements, one for each binding of
the manuscript.
•binding contains a description of one binding, i.e. type of covering, boards, etc. applied to a
manuscript.

<bindingDesc>
<binding>
Holzdeckel mit gepresstem braunen Leder überzogen, mit
messingenen Schliessern. Die Innerdeckel sind mit Bruchstücken einer
zerschnittenen Pergamenthandschrift s. X liturgischen Inhalts beklebt.
</binding>
</bindingDesc>
Cod. Guelf. 1.10 Aug. 2°
<binding>
Bound, s. XVIII (?), in <material>diced russia leather</material>
retaining most of the original 15th century metal ornaments (but with
some replacements) as well as the heavy wooden boards.
<decoNote>
On each cover: alternating circular stamps of the Holy Monogram,
a sunburst, and a flower.
</decoNote>
<condition>Front and back leather inlaid panels very badly worn.</condition>
Rebacked during the 19th century.
</binding>

http://reliures.bnf.fr/projet
<structure></structure>

Detailed description
•Reliure en maroquin brun marbré à décor doré à figure centrale quadrilobée complétée d’une composition de fers courbes et
pleins inscrite dans une structure de losange et rectangle imbriqués, combinaisons de fers d’angles.
• Au centre et au bas du plat supérieur, titre de l'ouvrage « POLYDORVS VERGILIVS DE RERVM INVENTORIB. » et ex-libris
de Jean Grolier « IO. GROLIERII ET AMICORVM. » dorés.
• Au centre du plat inférieur, devise de Jean Grolier « PORTIO MEA DOMINE SIT IN TERRA VIVENTIVM » dorée.
•Dos à 6 nerfs ; entrenerfs ornés d'un petit fer et encadrés d'un filet doré ; passages de chaînettes bombés et marqués de
hachures dorées. Ce décor initial simple a été enrichi au XVIIe siècle : entrenerfs semés de fleurs de lis et encadrés d'un
double filet doré ; titre « polydorvs vergilivs » doré dans le 2e entrenerf. Coiffes refaites.
•Tranches dorées.
•Tranchefiles renouvelées (vert).
•Coupes marquées d'un filet doré.
•Chasses marquées d'un filet doré.
•Contregardes vélin, gardes papier blanc (2 en début et en fin de volume), avec filigrane : bouton floral (sur la 1ère garde en
début et la seconde en fin de volume).
Structure: Matériau des plats : cartons.
State: Reliure restaurée (maroquin) : coins refaits, caissons du dos d'origine remonté sur
un dos neuf, tranchefiles renouvelées.

approach
Internal (& external) structures and materials Archæological
Levels of research

Research Centre, University of the Arts London
Professor Nicholas Pickwoad

St. Catherine’s Monastery Library on Mount Sinai, Egypt
Manuscript and Printed book Survey

Ligatus Research Centre
Printed book Survey
eXtensible Markup Language
(XML) schema
Electronic forms

http://www.ligatus.org.uk/stcatherines/node/1052

Archæology of the Book:
young discipline
It lacks a standardized vocabulary

Language of bindings
http://www.ligatus.org.uk/lob/

Language of bindings network

Language of bindings - thesaurus

Where do we stand?
Catalogues
Literature

Where do we stand?
By Leaflet - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11770851

SemanticWeb

Web 1.0
• World Wide Web
• Connects
information
Web 2.0
• Social Web
• Connects people
Web 3.0
• Semantic Web
• Connects
knowledge

Information is readable by machines:
retrieve, combine, and analyse within context
Linking DATA through logic relationships

Resource Description Framework
(RDF) Triples
SUBJECT OBJECT
predicate

HAB Wolfen-
büttel
is_located_in
Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs)
Resource Description Framework
(RDF) Triples
SUBJECT OBJECT
predicate

Semantic layer
Merged information
Dataset 1 Dataset 2 Dataset 3 Dataset 4

Semantic layer
Merged information
Dataset 1 Dataset 2 Dataset 3

Semantically rich
bookbinding descriptions

HAB: rich collection of books
— representative of other European collections —
studied by the foremost experts in the field

Literature

Manuscripts and early printed books
Varied range of geographical provenance
13th – 17th century

SVG
(Scalable Vector Graphics)
 
Verbal to visual intersemiotic translation

Dataset 1:
XML descriptions
Dataset 2:
literature
Semantic layer

SEMANTIC LAYER
An ontology (a form of knowledge representation)
for the mediation of cultural heritage information
 semantic ‘glue’
International standard: ISO 21127:2006

SEMANTIC LAYER
Mapping data to the CRM returns both
the meaning and the context
to the things represented in the data

SEMANTIC LAYER

http://139.91.183.3/3M/

17 modules ~8500 lines of XSLT code

SEMANTIC LAYER
XSLT

The CRM is for semantic data harmonization: it does not prescribe
conceptual terminologies, but these can be related to the model.

SUBJECT OBJECT
predicate
TRIPLE

0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
280
300
320
340
360
380
400
420
440
460
480
500
520
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
280
300
320
340
360
380
400
420
440
460
480
500
520
Min Max Average

Dataset 1:
XML descriptions
Dataset 2:
literature
Dataset 3:
St. Catherine’s Bindings
Semantic layer

H: L 28.8° Helmst
Italy
Germany

Dataset 1:
XML descriptions
Dataset 2:
literature
Dataset 3:
St. Catherine’s Bindings
Semantic layer
Merged information
Dataset #

the future

Publishing the HAB data
Streamline Ligatus to CIDOC mapping

Semantic annotation tool {very into the future}
Implementation of the CRMinf:
the Argumentation Model

Coming to terms:
Guidelines for the
description of
historical bookbindings
Prof. Nicholas Pickwoad
2016
Semantic annotation tool {very into the future}
Implementation of the CRMinf:
the Argumentation Model
‘Coming to terms:
guidelines for the description of
historical bookbindings’

Resource
production
Cataloguers
can’t describe
bookbindings
Catalogues
ignore binding
information
Experts lack
bookbinding
information
Manuals on
bindings are
not produced

Resource
production
Cataloguers
can describe
bookbindings
Catalogues
provide basic
binding
information
Experts can
find, analyse,
and produce
bookbinding
information
Manuals on
bindings are
produced
also with the
help of
reasoning
machines

 alberto.campagnolo@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/acampagnolo
@acampagnolo
https://digitalmedievalist.wordpress.com

FRENCH ITALIAN SPANISH GERMAN
ITALIAN ITALIAN ENGLISH FLEMISH

FRENCH ITALIAN SPANISH GERMAN
ITALIAN ITALIAN ENGLISH FLEMISH
SHEEP PARCHMENT
LACED-CASE WITH
COVER LINING
LACED-CASE WITH
STRAP-TYPE TANNED SKIN
SEWING SUPPORT AND
COVER OF MEDIEVAL
MANUSCRIPT WASTE
SHEEP PARCHMENT
LACED-CASE
(ENDBAND-SLIP-LACE ONLY)
WITH LOOP-&-BEAD
FASTENINGS
ONE-PIECE CALF-PARCHMENT
ADHESIVE CASE WITH
ENVELOPE FLAP (FROM
RIGHT SIDE)
REVERSED GOAT-PARCHMENT
LACED-CASE (TURN-IN LACING
ONLY) WITH TWO-COLOUR
PAIRED RIBBON TIES
LONGSTITCH THROUGH
GUARD WITH FULL GOAT
PARCHMENT COVER
CALF-PARCHMENT LACED-CASE
(ALL SLIPS LACED) WITH
TWO PAIRS OF ALUM-TAWED
SKIN TIES ON THE FORE-EDGE
CALF-PARCHMENT LACED-CASE
(SUPPORT SLIPS SLIT-LACED)
WITH TWO PAIRS OF TIES
ON THE FORE-EDGE

Some top phrases containing 8 words (without punctuation marks) Occurencies
werkstatt des buchbinders anton friedrich wirck in helmstedt 38
der werkstatt des buchbinders anton friedrich wirck in 38
aus der werkstatt des buchbinders anton friedrich wirck 29
an kopf und schwanz mit ungefärbten lederstreifen umflochten 19
kapital an kopf und schwanz mit ungefärbten lederstreifen 17
aus der werkstatt johannes von brakel klus ebdbw000352 12
sämtlich aus der werkstatt johannes von brakel klus 9
holzdeckel mit braunem gepressten leder überzogen zwei schliesser 9
in der werkstatt des buchbinders anton friedrich wirck 9
renaissance einband aus der zweiten hälfte des 16 9
der helmstedter buchbinderwerkstatt von anton friedrich wirck zwischen 8
vd eine geprägte mit brauner tinte gefüllte inskription 8
geprägte mit brauner tinte gefüllte inskription in capitalis 8
von anton friedrich wirck zwischen 1763 und 1783 8
helmstedter buchbinderwerkstatt von anton friedrich wirck zwischen 1763 8
aus der helmstedter buchbinderwerkstatt von anton friedrich wirck 8
dem vd eine geprägte mit brauner tinte gefüllte 8
auf dem vd eine geprägte mit brauner tinte 8
eine geprägte mit brauner tinte gefüllte inskription in 8
buchbinderwerkstatt von anton friedrich wirck zwischen 1763 und 8
des buchbinders anton friedrich wirck in helmstedt vgl 7
4 doppelbünde kapital an kopf und schwanz mit 7
an vd und hd je 2 umgreifende eck 7
hd je 2 umgreifende eck und kantenbeschläge aus 7
je 2 umgreifende eck und kantenbeschläge aus messing 7
4 doppelbünde dazwischen 3 einfache zierbünde ohne heftfunktion 7
1763 vom buchbinder anton friedrich wirck in helmstedt 7
und hd je 2 umgreifende eck und kantenbeschläge 7
vd und hd je 2 umgreifende eck und 7
holzdeckel mit braunem gepressten leder überzogen ein schliesser 7

©2014byLyonLabs,LLCandBarrettLyon.HostedbyDefense.Net
North America (ARIN)
Europe (RIPE)
Latin America (LACNIC)
Asia Pacific (APNIC)
Africa (AFRINIC)
“Backbone” (highly connected networks)
THE INTERNET 2015
THE OPTE PROJECT
Human involvement is necessary to
interpret page and combine information

is located in

Semantic layer
Merged information
Dataset 1 Dataset 2 Dataset 3 Dataset 4

Roger Powell
(1896-1990)
Sydney Cockerell
(1906-1987)
Douglas Bennett Cockerell
(1870-1945)
Powell-Cockerell School

Modern book conservation
Archæology of the book
Techniques
Craftsmanship
Materials
Morphology and decoration
Uses

Modern book conservation
Books as complex objects
Not just supports for text
Archæology of the book

http://www.riccardiana.firenze.sbn.it/legature/

1998-2001
Foundation for
Preservation-
Conservation
of Library
Materials,
Spoleto
2000: Trinity College
Dublin Bindery
2000: Studio Furlotti,
Milano
2000: COO.BE.C.,
Spoleto
2000: National
Museum Wales,
Cardiff
2001-2006
Ca’ Foscari
University
Venice
2002: National
Museum Wales,
Cardiff
2003: Marciana
National Library,
Venezia
2003: National
Museum Wales,
Cardiff
2003-2004: Palace
Green Library,
Durham
2004-2006: National
Museum Wales,
Cardiff
2006-2007: Imperial
War Museum,London
2007-2009
King’s
College
London
2007-2008: Guildhall
Library, London
2009: St. Catherine’s
Monastery Library,
Egypt
2008-2010: London
Metropolitan
Archives, London
2010-2015
Ligatus,
UAL
2013-2015: Vatican
Library
2015: Ligatus
Research Centre UAL
2016: HAB –
Wolfenbüttel
2016-2018: Library of
Congress
DipHE – BA (Hons.):
Conservation of
Library & Archive
Materials
MA: Digital Culture
andTechnology
PhD:
Transforming structured descriptions
to visual representations.
An automated visualization of
historical bookbinding structures.
CONSERVATION
DIGITAL HUMANITIES

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