Zaehnsdorf, Joseph ( 1816-1886 )
An Austro-Hungarian bookbinder, born in Budapest
and apprenticed at the age of 15 to a Herr Knipe,
a bookbinder of Stuttgart, with whom he worked for
5 years. Thereafter, he travelled to Vienna, where
he worked in the shop of a Herr Stephan.
Zaehnsdorf left Vienna in about 1836, travelled in
Europe, and finally arrived in London in 1837.
There he went to work for Messrs. Westley & Co.,
stayed for 3 years, and then went to work for John
Mackenzie for another 3 years, 1840 to 1842. He
then established his own bookbinding firm, which
flourished until his death, and was then taken
over by his only son, Joseph William Zaehnsdorf
(1853-1930).
One of the most influential bookbinders of his
time, Zaehnsdorf was considered to be an excellent
craftsman, with his forwarding and finishing being
of equal merit, although in the latter he copied
more than he innovated, although invariably in
good taste. During his lifetime, fine examples of
his workmanship were to be found in libraries of
all of the great English book collectors. (94 , 347 , 371 )
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