The Rubaiyat

Pictures and courtesy of Dick Blacher. Comments by Paul Jackson.

The Rubaiyat

by Omar Khayyam, 1922

Binding by Charlie Youngers

This book  measures 6 1/4" x 8" and has 103 pages. It was bound in full Levant with the title, year and Roycroft symbol stamped in gold on the spine.  The only difference between this and the 1922 paper over boards or suede variants is the binding. This binding is unsigned but it is strongly believed to be the work of Charlie Youngers. The 1922 Rubaiyat is not listed in McKenna's bibliography.
Charles and Peter Youngers were trained as Binders by Louis Herman Kinder. In 1912 Charlie Youngers relieved Kinder as the Head of the Bindery. In an August 1912 article on The Roycroft, Youngers was noted as "The Boss Binder." Charles Youngers' bindings were usually only signed Roycroft but the one above is signed Youngers. Youngers' bindings are usually fairly plain in design. Most of Youngers' efforts were in supervising the trade work. As time passed he did less and less hand binding. Felix Shay in "Elbert Hubbard of East Aurora", called Youngers, "Kinder's star pupil and one who carries on the traditions at The Roycroft these days." Although he did relieve Kinder as "The Boss Binder" I think the binders that most carried on the style and craftsman ship of Kinder were Lorenz Schwartz, John Grabau, and Harry Avery.

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