The Whisper. A Magazine of brief practical suggestions for Bookbinders
East Aurora, NY: Louis H. Kinder, July 1901 - May 1902. Each issue one of 400 copies, signed by Kinder. Complete run, 12 issues plus advertising prospectus. 146 x 100mm. 182 pages, 1 advertising leaf at end of the final volume. Original blue printed wrappers, sewn with red thread, the supplement in plain self wrappers. In a black morocco folding case.
Provenance: George H. Jones (signature on front of first wrapper, inscription to him on first text leaf: "This will tell you about Book-Binding"). Possibly George Heber Jones, the American Christian missionary in Korea, who grew up in Utica, not far from East Aurora in upstate New York. A few chips to edges of wrappers but overall a fine, well-preserved set. Item #410636
The 12 issues each provided instructions for one binding technique by the head binder at the Roycroft Shop. The additional pamphlet is titled "A Proposition of Mutual Interest" and was issued after the sixth number (November 1901). Noting the varying tastes of his subscribers, Kinder solicits readers to "make one grand effort to secure at least one subscriber ... [and he will then] publish complete sets of all recipes specified in the prospectus, accompanied by brief explanations, printed upon loose sheets for temporary use, and supply them to new subscribers upon payment of twenty-five dollars..." Kinder's 'Formulas for Bookbinders' was published in 1905, collecting his writings.
“Original prospectuses for The Whisper indicate that Kinder intended to publish five volumes over a 5 year period. Each volume was to comprise 12 monthly issues. Due to slow sales, only 12 monthly editions (one volume) of The Whisper were printed. The twelve issues produced were from June 1901 until May 1902. The price per volume was to be $5.00 paid in advance and it appears many bookbinders were hesitant to pay this amount in advance for information that they may or may not use. The magazine/periodical was published by Kinder himself, with payments directed to his wife, Julia Metzer Kinder. Like other Roycrofters, he had his own cottage industry on the side. Interestingly the booklets were printed by Advertiser Print in East Aurora and not the Roycroft for whom Kinder worked. All 12 booklets were printed in an edition of 400. On page 181 of volume #1, Kinder noted that this volume would be the only volume produced" (Middleton 25).
Very scarce: no copies appear in auction records and there are few copies traced in the trade.
Price: $1,500.00