It’s safe to say that books have helped to shape mankind. Throughout time, books have held the philosophies of life, the history of nations and the stories of people. They’ve helped to spread ideas across the globe and educate the masses. But what about that integral part of the book, the binding that houses the pages of words we hold so dear? Is there room in the appreciation of books for the art of book-binding?

The answer is a resounding yes, based upon the recent digitization of roughly 1000 bindings by the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, or the National Library of the Netherlands. This online collection presents an overview of book-binding history from the 12th century through present-day. It’s eye-opening to see the art and level of craftsmanship that went into hand-making each book. In today’s world of the internet, the iPad and the Kindle, these book-bindings are a reminder that information hasn’t always been accessible and was held in very high regard.

Click here to check out the online collection.