If you’ve ever browsed a particularly ancient used book store or seen older, leather-bound books perched on dusty library shelves, you’ve probably noticed that a popular binding style included dipping the edges of the pages in gold leaf, creating a shiny effect on the page exterior when the book was closed. Well, some particularly rare versions of these books have an even bigger surprise in their pages, one that you wouldn’t notice without clever handling. It’s called fore-edge painting, and the Cornell University Library has several of these gems in its collection. Check out the video below to see the secrets that lie within the pages — it really is mind-blowing.
See the painting hidden in the gilt edges of the pages of the book!! It’s called fore-edge painting, and this book is one of several in Cornell University Library – Rare and Manuscript Collections. Posted by Cornell University Library on Thursday, November 19, 2015