Dominic Winter Auctions
Lot 424
Binding - Clarkson (Christopher, 1938-2017). Bindings in Cambridge Libraries, by Geoffrey Dudley Hobson, Cambridge: University Press, 1929, colour frontispiece, monochrome and colour plates, doublure endpapers decorated with rubbings taken from a German Gothic blind-stamped binding, all edges gilt, modern yellow ochre Nigerian goatskin by Christopher Clarkson, intricate blind decoration design based on the Cambridge Colleges, each identified by a platinum-tooled shield with finely painted coat of arms to each, gilt and blind decorated path or large roundel effect encompassing whole binding bringing together design, title to spine in platinum, folio (37.3 x 23.5 cm), contained in book box, together with 26 brass finishing tool heads designed and made by Clarkson to undertake the decoration on the binding, and 34 brass type heads which were used on the binding, contained together in small hardwood stand, plus a selection of original artwork, designs, practice blind-work samples and mounted exhibition photo boards relating to the binding QTY: (-)NOTE:Provenance: Christopher Clarkson (1938-2017); thence by descent.This publication was produced in a limited edition of 230 copies for sale.Christopher Clarkson (1938-2017) was one of the world's leading authorities in the conservation of medieval manuscripts and early printed books and a highly respected historian on the subject. Christopher was born in Blackheath from an early age showed an interest in art, attending art classes at the Whitechapel Art Gallery on Saturday mornings, before attending the Junior Art School at Camberwell College of Arts and Crafts at the age of 13, progressing to the Senior Art School at the age of 15. At 17 he gained his National Diploma in Design and took a part-time position at Camberwell assisting Frank Martin in teaching wood engraving, lettering and illuminating under Vernon Shearer. He later attended the Royal College of Art from 1960-1963, additionally studying fine binding for his last two years there. Whilst there he had to complete twelve bindings for his final diploma show (the bindings by Clarkson in this auction are understood to date from this time). At the same time, he assisted Howard Nixon at the British Museum with his bookbinding rubbing project. He graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1963 with an ARCA Diploma in Graphic Art and as a result, was invited by Jeff Clements to teach at the Plymouth School of Art and Design. In 1964 he worked under Tony Cains at Douglas Cockerell & Son which was run by Sydney Cockerell. In late 1966 he joined the English Government team in Florence to help conserve the flood-damaged volumes and manuscripts, working with Tony Cains, Peter Waters, Don Etherington and Roger and Rita Powell. It was during this time that he and fellow binders formulated the principles of book conservation. In 1972 he was appointed Head of Rare Book Preservation at the Library of Congress, Washington. He later held a position at The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, being the first conservator of their manuscript collection, before, in 1979 accepting the post as the first Conservation Technical Officer at the Bodleian Library, Oxford. From 1987-1998 he taught at West Dean College and on his return to Oxford set up in private practice, working as a consultant to the Bodleian Library, The Wordsworth Library and Hereford Cathedral Mappa Mundi Trust and Chained Library. In 2004 Christopher was awarded the Plowden Gold Medal of the Royal Warrant Holders Association in recognition of his contribution to the conservation profession.
