Report of the trial, the King.versus Robert Harvey Wyatt.Glocester Lent assizes, 1829
(Birmingham, 1829)
RB.23.a.21374       22x14 cm

An early publisher's cloth binding.

1820s

It has been suggested that William Pickering (1796-1854) was the first publisher, and Archibald Leighton (1784-1841) the first binder to use cloth, which was initially plain and without texture, for edition binding.

The fly embossing press was introduced. It was used for heavily embossing designs, chiefly on leather. Designs included the Cathedral style on Bibles and devotional books.

1825 Leighton developed a special bookcloth.

1827 William Burn invented the rolling machine which replaced the lengthy hand beating of books. The new machine was unpopular with many workers who lost their jobs.