All images courtesy Martin Frost of foreedgefrost.co.uk:
The Bookologist Examines Fore-Edge PaintingsBy Edith Reynolds
About 12 years ago a bookseller advised me to check 19th century books with gilt edges very carefully. He once discovered a treasure sitting on the shelf of a well-established shop. The book itself wasn't very noticeable but when he fanned the pages, the real gem emerged. A fore-edge painting was hidden within.
I've never been so lucky, but that doesn't mean treasures aren't out there waiting for one of our readers to discover. Fore-edge paintings are sometimes called "invisible paintings" because they are done on the very edge of paper when the text block is beveled. Typically the illustration is one of a scene-a castle, a university, a cathedral, etc. When the text block is returned to its natural shape and the edges are gilt, the painting is secreted from sight.
The peak of the fore-edge movement began in the mid-17th century, but I found one source that claims this technique was used as far back as the 10th century. Those early samples began with symbolical designs such as one created by Thomas Berthelet for King Henry VIII. They were predominately done by the British.
The zenith of the art of illustrating landscapes, according to some experts, began with William Edwards of Halifax (1723-1808) and his son James (1756-1816). The earliest works were monochromes, later evolving into a full palette of color. There are some examples of portraits being added to the sides of landscapes, but these are not the norm.
Though the process is one of antiquity, the art has not died out but remains a popular collectible. Early books were usually Bibles, prayer books, the classics, travel books, and poetry, but today, almost any book can contain a fore-edge painting pertaining to the subject matter. Golf books many show a man in knickers sinking a putt; chess books with a chessboard and men, polo books may show a game in progress.
Though these newer examples are works of art in their own right, collectors should not be paying the same price as they would for more vintage examples, according to collector and bookseller Arthur Boutiette of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Arthur currently has about 60 in his collection but has handled at least a thousand in his 30-year career. How a novice can tell whether a fore-edge is older or more recent isn't that hard if you abide by the Boutiette rule: everything is suspect.
He recommends watching for the following:
One: Check to see if the amount of gilt is thick or thin. Thicker gilding was used to cover fore-edge paintings.
Two: Older works will have more vibrant colors because the watercolors used back then were thicker and more opaque. If you see brush strokes and a translucent quality, then it may be a newer application.
Three: If the scene is bordered, if it has a "frame," then it is probably a newer painting.
Four: If the scene is topical, pertains to the subject matter of the book or is an English book depicting quaint scenes of early America, then it is probably not antique.
Five: If the paint bleeds into the page, then it is a more watery paint and therefore newer.
"You have to remember that England wasn't big on depicting America, so if you have an English book about America with a cabin and Davy Crockett rifle leaning against it, it's probably not original." Boutiette adds that scenes of Columbus sailing to the new world were unheard of for the early English printings. "The majority of scenes you'll find on early books are bridges, castles, and churches."
Price ranges depend on the age of the book and illustration. Whether the book is antique or not, a collector of fore-edge works is buying the age of the illustration and should not pay a premium for newer works. $200 to $400 is a fair market value for newer fore-edges, and antique examples can range from $500 to $1100, with the Edwards of Halifax being about the most desirable.
Of course, special fore-edge works can exceed these expectations. There are some paintings added to both sides of the beveled text block and these are referred to as "double fore-edge" paintings. Panoramic views that span all three free sides of the text block were not done in ages past but can be quite striking in a collection.
Special frames that hold the book in a way that displays the illustration are available, but Boutiette advises that these contraptions should only be employed if you want to show the book without having people handling it, since oils from fingers can damage the design.
"If you're having a party, you can put a fore-edge in a press out for display, to show your guests but take it out afterward and let the book rest in its natural position," he advises.
