Discover the evolution of the bookbinding. Since Gutenberg began printing around 1450, books were initially sold as loose sheets and only later bound, according to the buyer’s taste and budget. It was not until the end of the eighteenth century that publishers themselves began to provide books with bindings, leading to the uniform book covers we know today.

In this exhibition, you will discover sixteenth-century bindings in leather and parchment, various finishing techniques such as gold tooling and decorated edges, as well as more affordable alternatives in cardboard and decorative paper.

All objects come from the collection of Joran Proot.

15.12.2026 – 30.01.2026: 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
@ Library Sint Lucas Antwerpen, Van Schoonbekestraat 143, Antwerp

Artists: Joran Proot