An Inquiry into the Nature and Form of the Books of the Ancients

John Andrews Annett was the pseudonym of John Hannett, a printer and a pioneer in the study of modern and historical bookbinding methods. An Inquiry into the Nature and Form of the Books of the Ancients was published in 1837, following the success of Bibliopegia, his manual of bookbinding techniques. Having outlined the various ways in which written records were kept, and the development of the codex and of printing, Hannett devotes most of the book to the history of bookbinding. The book is well researched and illustrated, with many quotations from earlier works to support his clearly written narrative. Wills and accounts often describe books in terms of their binding, providing a way of following changing fashions in book coverings. He examines continental and oriental bindings as well as English, before discussing modern binding practice and practitioners.