Before the Industrial Revolution enabled cheap mass production of cloth book bindings, books published until about 1820 were sold unbound (and then... Show moreBefore the Industrial Revolution enabled cheap mass production of cloth book bindings, books published until about 1820 were sold unbound (and then custom bound by wealthier owners) or in temporary wrappers. As the 19th century progressed, the advances in manufacturing facilitated development of publishers’ bindings, and they soon evolved into an art form of their own. This collection includes examples of such bindings from American publishers in the Buley Library Special Collections. Show less