Thomas Berthelet, Royal Printer and Bookbinder to Henry VIII., King of England — A Reader’s Guide

Documentary Evidence and the Bill

The second chapter of the book is built around a key document: Berthelet's bill, which Davenport quotes and analyzes. This bill includes entries for books bound in velvet and satin, materials that Davenport notes form a connecting link between medieval metalwork bindings and later leather bindings. The author uses the bill to argue that some embroidered bindings, though fragile, were made for Henry VIII and likely by Berthelet. He points to specific evidence: two such bindings have Berthelet's usual legend painted in gold on their edges. Davenport is careful to distinguish bindings he can confidently attribute from those where the evidence is weaker, such as embroidered books worked by Princess Elizabeth, which he thinks were probably assembled by Berthelet but designed by the princess herself.

Materials and Techniques

Davenport devotes considerable attention to the physical materials of bindings. He notes that the majority of bindings after the introduction of printing were leather, but he also discusses velvet and satin bindings, which he calls "very ornamental indeed." He observes that these fragile materials have survived better than expected, though many have perished. The author describes the decoration of velvet bindings with enamels, a technique that, like embroidery, had no intrinsic value but was preserved for its beauty. Davenport's descriptions are precise: he mentions specific volumes, such as a calf binding of Bembo's Historicae Venetae made for Edward VI, and a white leather binding of a manuscript titled La Science de Geometrie. The plates, produced by chromo-lithographer William Griggs, are praised as the finest work of their kind.

Attribution and Chronology

A central challenge Davenport addresses is attribution. He acknowledges that few good plates of Berthelet bindings existed before his own, and that color plates had been a source of tribulation. He relies on inherent evidence, such as the painted gold legend on edges, to connect bindings to Berthelet. The book is organized chronologically, with descriptions of typical examples in chapter three. Davenport discusses bindings made for Henry VIII, for Prince Edward (later Edward VI), and for other patrons. He notes that some bindings, like those of the Bible printed at Antwerp in 1534 made for Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, carry historical significance beyond their craftsmanship. The author's tone is scholarly but not dry; he conveys enthusiasm for the bindings' survival and beauty.

The Role of the Caxton Club Edition

This edition was published by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1901, limited to 252 copies on handmade paper, with three copies on Japanese vellum. The colophon states that the type was distributed after printing, emphasizing the book's status as a limited edition. Davenport's work is part of a series of monographs on bookbinding, and he frequently cross-references his own earlier books, such as Royal English Bookbindings (1896) and English Embroidered Bookbindings (1899). The reader should note that the text assumes familiarity with the history of printing and binding; Davenport does not explain basic terms. The illustrations, listed in detail, are integral to the argument, as they allow the reader to see the bindings described.

Davenport's monograph is best read with the plates at hand, as his descriptions are closely tied to visual details. The book does not attempt a biography of Berthelet in the modern sense; instead, it builds a picture of his work through material evidence. Readers interested in the physical history of the book will find a meticulous study of craftsmanship and attribution. The limited edition format itself reflects the value placed on fine printing and binding, a tradition Berthelet himself served.

There’s something tender in how Davenport lingers over Berthelet’s leather and velvet, the way a craftsman’s care outlives kings. It reminds me of reading the Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe Wife of Sir Richard Fanshawe, Bt., Ambassador from Charles II to the Courts of Portugal and Madrid. — Text and Context — those quiet domestic details pressing against grand history, the same patient stitching of a life into record.