Fore edge painting

Fore edge painting is the craft of applying an image to the pages of a book. The page block is fanned and an image is applied to the stepped surface. If the page edges are gilded or marbled, the applied image disappears when the book is relaxed. When refanned, the painting reappears.

Earliest examples of fore edge painting are credited to the Royal binders Lewis Brothers in 1660, with a rennaissance in the second half of the eighteenth century, circa 1760-1800 with the Edwards Bindery in Halifax and London. A recent revival saw more work in the late 1900s.

Watercolour painting onto the fanned page edges of the book. The tips of the pages hide the image when the book is released (see examples here).

• Bookbinding
• Miniature Painting
• Illumination
• Fine print

Vanishing fore edge painting:

• Society of Bookbinders
• Designer Bookbinders

Short courses

• West Dean College runs regular vanishing fore edge painting classes with Martin Frost MBE

This entry refers specifically to the art of vanishing fore edge painting, as described above, which has very few professional practitioners.

There are a number of artists and craftspeople who do a simpler version of fore edge painting where the images remains visible on the pages.

• Current numbers of professionals: Fore Edge painting is enjoying a surge in popularity on apps like TikTok and Instagram due to the adaption of the craft to appeal to younger generations through popular culture (like Harry Potter and other current fantasy books). This has led to the craft of Fore Edge painting becoming significantly less endangered and a general increase in awareness of the craft.  However, the art of vanishing fore edge painting (where the image disappears under a gilded edge) remains critically endangered.

• Current number of trainees: There are currently no formal trainees in fore edge painting. Over 300 people have taken part in workshops in the UK and USA but none are practising. Gillian Stewart has received an Endangered Craft Fund grant from the Heritage Crafts Association to further her skills in fore edge painting. She hopes to teach the skills as a part of her bookbinding practice.

• Frost, Martin, What is fore edge painting?
• Weber, Jeff. (2010). Annotated Dictionary of Fore-edge Painting Artists & Binders. The Fore-edge Paintings of Miss C. B. Currie; with a Catalogue Raisonné. Los Angeles: Weber Rare Books.
• Weber, Carl. (1966). Fore-edge painting: a historical survey of a curious art in book decoration.

Our thanks go to our 2027 reviewers:

• Clare Brooksbank

We consult with a wide range of practitioners and organisations to review and update the Red List. Some choose to remain anonymous but all feedback is taken into account.

If you would like to suggest any changes or additions to this page please contact us here