BIBLE REVIEW #4 - Cambridge Cameo Bible

In November of 2009 I came across a Cambridge Cameo Bible in a local Christian bookshop, since the Cameo has been out of print for several years I bought it even though it was bound in bonded leather. I have long thought that the Cambridge Cameo was the perfect size, format and type setting for my taste, so I was thrilled to find this Bible. I had been wanting to give Leonard's Book Restoration a try for a long time and this Bible seemed like the perfect candidate, in fact ideas for the rebind were running through my head before I even left the shop.

I think one of the keys to getting a Bible rebound is to know what you want and to express your desires in clear detail, it also helps to be dealing with a bookbinder that listens and is willing to say "I can't do that" when you ask for something beyond the laws of physics. About a year ago I sent a Bible off to another bookbinder (not Leonard's) after he told me he could create just the look I was after, when he sent the rebound Bible back it was nothing at all like what I wanted, an expensive lesson in communication I guess. At any rate Eric and Margie at Leonard's were great at helping me through the design process.

I was attempting a rustic sort of medieval look, but without any unnecessary ornamentation. If my Bible is going to stand out at all, I like it to stand out for the simple, tasteful use of quality materials, not because of any added flash. Eric understood this and he and Margie were very patient in helping me understand what was possible and what wasn't, so off my Bible went. My Cameo Bible was away for about six weeks and during that time I had to settle for taking my R. L. Allan Bible to church with me (life is hard sometimes).

THE COVER

To start with I wasn't at all sure what type of leather to use on this project, but I have enough goatskin and calfskin that I wanted to try something different. I knew that I wanted something with a rich natural grain and I wanted it to be as limp and soft to the touch as possible. I have seen a lot of leather Bibles that are either limp or soft to the touch, but seldom both. Margie suggested deerskin with a "feather-lite" interior liner and Eric hand dyed the leather to add to the look of age that I wanted. I am amazed at how nice the deerskin is, it is actually much softer than the Highland Goatskin on my R. L. Allan Bible.



On the spine I wanted very prominent raised bands that wrapped around to the front and back cover, this wrap around effect adds a lot to the period look of this Bible. I also opted for black lettering on the spine as opposed to gilt. On early Bibles I have noticed a lot of variation in the lettering from just "BIBLE" to HOLY BYBLE" and such, I decided to go with "THE BIBLE" and since this is an AV I had the date of the translation placed at the bottom ("MDCXI").



ON THE INSIDE

For the endpapers I opted for a simple brown leatherette, while black might have looked nice I think the all brown look is a classic one that I am fond of. In keeping with the brown theme I also had two brown ribbon markers put in, as much as I like three ribbons I think two just look better on a small Bible like this one.



One of the things that I like about this Bible (as opposed to newer Cambridge Bibles) is that it was printed in the United Kingdom at the Cambridge University Press. Most current Cambridge Bibles are printed in Belarus. Belarus is a beautiful country with a long and rich history, it's people are proud and resilient. While I have nothing at all against Belarus or it's people, I just think a Cambridge Bible should at the very least be made in England.

 

Thank you Ed. I can't understand why Cambridge quit making the Cameo

 

R. L. Allan has some very nice ESVs right now. If I were goin to get one I think I'd go for that red PSR, I don't have a red Bible yet.