Bookbinder's archive (two volumes).
[Printing] Farran, Evelyn Gertrude. Bookbinder’s Archive. 1900-1913.
An archive of material documenting the work of an early 20th-cetury female book binder, including the following items:
2 folio albums of original designs for bookbindings executed by E. Gertrude Farran, including a number for John Masefield, with a few old photographs of the finished books.
11 Autograph letters signed by Poet Laureate John Masefield
numerous Art Nouveau designs for her bookbindings.
Gertrude Farran (1868-1934) appears in Tidcombe’s seminal Women Bookbinders 1880-1920, noting the appearance of Farran’s binding on ‘The Gospel of Work’ in The Art Journal (Tidcombe p. 174). A letter relating to this is included here: “Dear Miss Farran, We like the ‘Gospel of Work’ very much and my sister thinks it suitable for the ‘Art Journal’ where a little notice of it with an illustration will appear in February … It is now at the Art Journal offices being photographed … Yours Sincerely Christina J. Statchley.”
The eleven letters present from John Masefield, later the Poet Laureate, to Farran, relate to several pieces of work that Masefield had commissioned, including cases for his manuscripts and bindings for his proofs,
“keeping the edges uncut in any way by the guillotine, please?”.
The archive also includes designs for labels, newspaper cuttings of related interest and correspondence with several of Farran’s clients, leather sellers and W. Hale White. White had shown several bookseller including the major Londen based Bain several of Farran’s bindings in an effort to secure some commissions (unsuccessfully it seems).
The earlier work is quite derivative of Cobden-Sanderson with small tools of flower heads and spandrels placed at intervals or carved to form cartouches and cornerpieces. Later work incorporates Celtic forms which she seems to have exhibited at Bushey Arts and Crafts Exhibition ‘Miss Farren sent some excellent specimens of books cover designs among them a beautiful-executed alter book designed for Thaxted church.’ Her address at this time was South End House, Montpelier, Twickenham, a large early Georgian brick mansion overlooking the river. The building was later occupied by the YWCA so may have been a church property at the time Farren was working there, at a later period the house became the home of Walter de la Mare. The location may account for the number of religious bindings that were commissioned from Farran, we know practically nothing about her other than her birth in Kingston-upon-Thames. She
appears to have lived in or around this area until the 1920s when she retired to Devon where she died in August 1934.
(#4656503)
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