DEROME (DE ROME). - A family of Parisian bookbinders active from the 17th century, of whom 14 members are known.
The most famous is NICOLAS-DENIS, known as D. le Jeune, born on 1 October 1731, died in 1790 or 1791. He continued the decorative style of the Padeloup, from whose workshop he acquired all the tools for gilding.
DEROME bindings, executed with great care, are distinguished by floral ornamentation. Among the preferred leathers is red morocco, and among the tools a bird with outstretched wings (bindings “au petit oiseau”) which appears on the spine and at the corners of the boards. Notable also are some types of mosaic binding, with gold tooling. The Mortimer L. Schiff collection in New York possesses about fifty DEROME bindings.
BIBL.: L. Gruel, Manuel historique et bibliographique de l'amateur de reliures, I, Paris 1887, pp. 77 ff. (cf. II, ibid. 1905, pp. 56–61); E. Thoinan, Les reliures français, ibid. 1893, pp. 246–56.