The Book Collector VOLUME 54 NO 4 WINTER 2005 CONTENTS THEY ORDER THESE THINGS BETTER... CHRISTMAS CATALOGUE NO. II 495 513 THE OWNERS OF THE 'CARPE DIEM' ARMORIAL BINDING STAMP 539 By Anthony Hobson and Thomas Woodcock JEWELLED BINDINGS -MISSING MASTERPIECES 545 By Stephen Ratcliffe MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE MANUSCRIPTS: A Handlist of 553 the Collection of B. S. Cron By Richard A. Linenthal SALES s65 CATALOGUES 573 NEWS AND COMMENT 583 EXHIBITIONS AND CATALOGUES 596 OBITUARIES 6ox BOOKS RECEIVED 6o6 BOOK REVIEWS by A. S. G. Edwards, GeordieWilliamsonJoan 609 Williams, Miriam M. Foot, Anthony Hobson NOTES AND CONTRIBUTORS 512 LIST OF ADVERTISERS 493 Editorial Board: NICOLAS BARKER, OBE editor, ALAN BELL, PHIL CLEAVER, ANTHONY S. G. EDWARDS, JAMES FERGUSSON, THEODORE HOFMANN, DAVID'MCKITTERICK, JOAN WINTERKORN THE BOOK COLLECTOR is published by The Collector Limited Articles, notes and queries, photographs for reproduction and letters to the Editor should be addressed to: THE BOOK COLLECTOR, P.O. BOX 12426, LONDON WII 3GW TEL/FAX: 020 7792 3492. E-MAIL nicolasb@nixnet.clara.co.uk. Subscription and advertising correspondence should be addressed to: THE BOOK COLLECTOR, 20 MAPLE GROVE, LONDON NW9 8QY TEL/FAX: 020 8200 5004. E-MAIL info@thebookcollector.co.uk. WEBSITE: thebookcollector.co.uk.