Design for a Book Binding
ca. 1887â1903
Medium
graphic design
Classification
graphic design
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1943-33-1-16
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Alice Cordelia Morse created this design for a book binding during a dynamic period in American publishing, roughly spanning the late 1880s to the early 1900s. As an American active from the Gilded Age into the twentieth century, Morse contributed to the growing field of graphic design, where visual appeal became essential for attracting readers in an expanding book market. Her work exemplifies how artists of the era blended practicality with decoration to enhance the presentation of literature. This piece highlights the significance of graphic design as both an artistic and commercial medium...