... a worthy, industrious and extremely skilful binder. Indeed, after Roger Payne, he was, some twelve or fifteen years, the Leader of his Bretheren. His workmanship or style of binding was rather sound and substantial, than elegant and classical: but for a good thumping folio, or quarto, of Antiquities or Topography, or a fine fat Leipsic printed octavo--you could not do better than employ the said Charles Hering.—DIBDIN.
Charles Hering was probably of German descent, like so many binders of the period. Many of his early bindings are in the style of Roger Payne, and after the latter's death Hering worked for the leading bibliophiles of the period. He completed just one binding for Mrs. Bliss, a restrained, sympathetic and appropriate binding for a Book of Hours, with Hering's white paper label on the front pastedown.
LIBER PRÆCUM, MS. ON VELLUM, 14 beautiful illuminations, (2 very curious, John’s Head in a Charger and the Cutting off the High Priest’s Ear,) with borders and capitals, bound in maroon, coloured morocco, joints, gilt edges, by Hering
1826 sale, lot 461
(Lot 29 in a Christie's sale of Valuable Printed Books and Manuscripts, Wednesday 12 June 2013. It sold for £40,000 to a US trade buyer, presumably Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books, within whose stock it now resides. My thanks to Peter Kidd for tracking the movements of this MS and supplying the photograph.)
References
Ellic Howe.—A list of London bookbinders, 1648-1815.—London : Bibliographical Society, 1950.
Thomas Frognall Dibdin.—The bibliographical decameron; or, Ten days pleasant discourse upon illuminated manuscripts, and subjects connected with early engraving, typography, and bibliography.—3 vol.—London : Printed for the author, 1817.
Howard M. Nixon & Mirjam M. Foot.—The history of decorated bookbinding in England.—Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1992.
Charles Ramsden.—London bookbinders, 1780-1840.—London : Batsford, 1956.
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