Herringbone Bindery
Erin Fletcher : Fine Binding & Edition Binding
Front cover of Field Book of Western Wild Flowers binding on a white table. Close-up of front cover of Field Book of Western Wild Flowers binding on a white table. Close-up of front cover of Field Book of Western Wild Flowers binding on a white table. Interior of Field Book of Western Wild Flowers binding on a white table. Edge of Field Book of Western Wild Flowers binding on a white table. Frotn cover of Field Book of Western Wild Flowers binding on a white table. Box interior of Field Book of Western Wild Flowers binding on a white table. Box spine Field Book of Western Wild Flowers binding on a white table. Box spine of Field Book of Western Wild Flowers binding on a white table.
Field Book of Western Wild Flowers - by Margaret Armstrong
By Margaret Armstrong in collaboration with J.J. Thornber, A.M.
Published by C.P. Putnam's Sons, New York
17th impression

Private Collection, US

French-style fine binding with laced-in boards. Bound in bois de rose buffalo skin with back-pared onlays of goat and buffalo. Onlays embellished with hand-embroidered details using cotton embroidery floss. Hand painted border in golden fluid acrylic. Title hand tooled in Gills Sans with 23kt. gold leaf. Sponged edges in gouache and sprinkled with gold leaf. Hand sewn French double-core headbands in polyester thread. Edge-to-edge doublures in bois de rose buffalo skin with matching handmade Katie MacGregor paper flyleaf. Endpapers in ochre paper handmade by Katie MacGregor.

Book is housed in a clamshell box covered with buffalo leather and brown Canapetta cloth. Goatskin onlays with hand embroidered details using cotton embroidery floss. Author's name is gilt with Gill Sans handle letters in 23kt. gold leaf. Tray covered and lined with handmade paper by Katie MacGregor. A layer of Volara foam lines the outer tray to protect embroidery.

10.7cm x 17.5cm x 3.5cm - Completed in 2013



Exhibition History
  • Exhibited in Society of Bookbinders 2013 International Competition



Artist Statement
Margaret Armstrong was a notable designer for Publisher's Bindings. The cover is inspired by her design for Out of Doors in the Holy Land by Henry Van Dyke. Each flower onlay is derived from one of Margaret's illustrations in the text.

Read about the binding process of this book on my blog.