Bibliophile prints and book binding

The foundations of the collection of bibliophile prints and book bindings were laid by Julius Leisching. However, its development on a larger scale started only in the early 1960's, under František Franc and later Dr. Dagmar Halasová. They acquired parts of significant Brno bibliophile collections on the passing of their owners, for example, a major proportion of the Mojmír Helcelet collection. Specimens of contemporary book binding were selected directly from bookbinders' workshops and artists dedicated to the discipline.

The collection was given official status in 1989. Today it is one of a few regularly expanded series of its kind in the Czech Republic. Bibliophile prints and book bindings have recently been supplemented by artefacts in the category of artists' books.

Leisching's late 19th-century acquisitions include a series of decorative addresses in the vein of historicism, mainly of Czech and Austrian provenance. There are also several brilliant examples of European book binding. Naturally, Czech and Moravian output prevails.

The collections comprise pieces by almost all the members of the founding generation of modern 20th-century Czech book binding: Ludvík Bradáč and his Prague students Petra Pospíšilová, Antonín Tvrdý and Josef Brousek, both in individual examples and book bindings created for publishers, series by Josef Vyskočil, the Jirouts and Otto Blažek. A precious series of Jindřich Svoboda's book bindings spans all his creative periods from the late 1920's to the artist's later works from the 1990's.
In recent years, acquisition strategy has centred upon the younger generation of bookbinders, such as Eliška Čabalová and Jan Perůtka. The Brno conceptual artist Jiří H. Kocman is represented by a small but prestigious series, from his first books to "re-making books" and handmade paper. The latter category also features work by Miloš Šejn and Dalibor Chatrný, and Jan Činčera's early efforts.
Different kinds of the artist's book are exemplified by the work of Jiří Hadlač and Květa Pacovská. Josef Váchal is plentifully represented in the Moravian Gallery: the institution owns an impressive series of Váchal's 12 artist's books and its collection includes a number of books with Váchal's graphic illustrations.

Bibliophile prints chiefly derive from Czech 20th-century production. All major book series are represented, from Sáňka's prints, Florian's Dobré Dílo, Pojer's Atlantis, Poura's series, Rudolf Škeřík's Symposion, as well as occasional prints by small Moravian bibliophile printing works. Modern Czech production is represented by books published by Družstevní práce, Aventinum, Melantrich and others. There are also book jackets, designs and illustrations by Štýrský, Toyen, Muzika, prints with original illustrations by Karel Svolinský, Cyril Bouda, Petr Dillinger and others. One of the highlights is a complete series of prints from the Obzina printing works in Vyškov with book jackets by Josef Čapek. The post-war period includes editions by Lyra Pragensis, Hlavsa's Bohemia series, bibliophile prints published by the Brno printer František Janás and a handful of other publishers. Recent major acquisitions include most of the complete output of Aulos, a publisher of bibliophile prints from Prague.