Cambridge Bookbindings : An elaborate binding from the workshop of John Houlden, ca.1643

Bede, Saint the Venerable 673-735

Cambridge Bookbindings

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>An example of the output of John Houlden’s workshop at its most elaborate. Abraham Whelock, the University Librarian 1629-53 and Professor of Anglo-Saxon, had his edition of the works of Bede printed in folio by the University printer in 1643. Copies were widely distributed among the colleges and presented to people of position and influence, suitably bound according to their status. This is one of two very similarly and expensively bound copies, which were intended for grandees; its twin, now in the Bodleian Library, originally belonged to the Earl of Holland, the Chancellor of the University. This copy came to the University Library in the early eighteenth century as part of the library of John Moore, Bishop of Ely, but its original recipient is unknown.</p><p>Pasteboards, covered with black goatskin, gilt-tooled. Smooth spine, with recessed supports, also elaborately gilt-tooled; gilt leaf edges; plain paper flyleaves, with separate plain paper pastedowns.</p><p>Dr David Pearson</p></p>