History

• Stamps on Leather Cover of 1431 Book Bound by Monk in Nuremberg.
  
  In early times, there was no plastic or nylon, so book makers had to rely on readily available materials. Some very early craftsmen made books only for churches and royalty, since they were the only people who could afford them. The covers were made of wood, metal, fabrics or leather and were encrusted with gemstones, pearl, or enamel. After Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, books were easier to produce, and leather was durable and supple--a workable choice for book covers.
  
  Book binders were artisans, proud of their book binding. Often, they put their names on the books they bound, which adds much monetary value as well as historic value to the leather-bound books today.
  
  

Types

• Hides of young cows, sheep, pigs, seals and goats have been used to cover books. Good leather book covers are usually made from calf or goatskin because such skins are thinner and more supple than cowhide. Of these two, goatskin (especially Nigerian goatskin) is the most durable, and many say the most beautiful, of all leathers for book covers. Calf skins, while larger than most goat skins, show off tooling and gold gild very well, but because the material is soft, it is prone to show scuffs and scrapes. Also, because it is thin, it tends to dry out over time and develop little scales or tabs that pull out to expose the inner layers of the skin. Since goats and calves are small animals, their skins are best suited for smaller books. For covers of larger books, such as atlases or very large Bibles, top-grain cowhide is used.
  
  

Features

• Leather Tanning in Marrakech, Morocco.
  
  Nowadays, a vegetable processing method is used to tan leather. This results in supple leather that contains no harmful chemicals, is easily molded and will remain stable. Early Americans used the bark of oak, hemlock, ash, mimosa and chestnut trees to tan hides. However, long ago, leather was tanned using various metals and minerals. Metal tanned leather lasts a very long time but is not suitable for delicate tooling. Smoking hides over low fires made of green twigs and leaves resulted in the aldehyde process, and the rotting process was further slowed by drying the smoked hides in the sun or salting them. Alum, found in volcanic areas, was later used. Quick lime--and later, chromium salts--were employed to tan leather.
  
  

Considerations

• Leather book covers do not last forever. They are only tanned animal skins and, as such, are adversely affected by light, humidity and wide fluctuations in temperature. Leather is also affected by oils, even oils from a reader's hands, which can darken the leather over time. Certainly, mishandling of leather-bound books can cause scuffing and tearing of the edges and corners of the cover. In addition, since leather is made of protein, if it is not properly tanned and gets damp, it can mold and rot.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• To preserve a leather-bound book, it is important to keep it in a dark or dimly lit area away from heat sources such as radiators. Likewise, it should not be stored in a place where it will be subjected to extremely low temperatures, such as an unheated garage. Leather needs to "breathe" and should never be kept wrapped in plastic or any type of acidic paper. A good rule of thumb in storing leather-bound books is if you are comfortable with the temperature and humidity in a room, it is likely a good environment for your book, too.