Albumen Print

A photographic print made on paper on which egg whites (albumen) are coated in order to increase the paper's sensitivity and tonal qualities. The details of the albumen print process were first published in 1858.

Egg whites were beaten to a froth and drops of a saturated solution of potassium nitrate were added together with a solution of silver nitrate.

Gustave Le Gray, Hunt & Pollack were early users of the method which then dominated photography for the next forty years. Albumen prints were the state of the art in photography prints on paper from about 1855 until about 1895.

The range of tones and detail in the shadow area as well as in the highlights is a special feature of this paper. The tonal quality was sometimes better than that of modern studio portrait prints.

An albumen print can always be identified by the sheen on the paper surface due to "egginess" of the albumen mixture.

Ambrotype

The ambrotype consists of a glass plate on which there is a photographic image. The image usually has a low contrast, grayish white appearance, although it may be a hand tinted image. Usually there is some sort of dark backing to an ambrotype to bring out the contrast of the picture, either the back of the glass plate is painted or a piece of dark paper or cloth is inserted behind it.

Most ambrotypes were protected by enclosing the fragile glass plate in a small wooden, leather, or early thermoplastic (celluloid) case, also known as a "Union Case", which are often mistakenly referred to as made of gutta percha.

The process was discovered by the sculptor Frederick Scott Archer in 1855 and quickly became an inexpensive favorite of the portrait gallery trade. Just as the Daguerreotype had brought sitting for a portrait down from the rarified air of nobility to the professional or political classes, the low cost of the AMBROTYPE widened the reach of portrait photography into the American middle-class. By 1860, the Daguerreotype was almost completely supplanted.

Introduced. 1855 by Frederic Scott Archer

Peak. 1860

Waned. 1862 (almost immediately after the introduction of the carte de visite)

Last Used. 1860s (except for modern revivalists)

A reference book on the subject is "A Collector's Guide to Early Photographs" by O. Henry Mace.

Art Deco

A mix of "modern" decorative art styles, largely of the 1920s and 1930s (and revived since 1966), whose main characteristics were derived from various avant-garde painting styles of the early twentieth century and often the use of industrial materials & new synthetic materials and mass production techniques of the period. Art deco works exhibit aspects of Cubism, Russian Constructivism and Italian Futurism -- with abstraction, distortion, and simplification, particularly geometric shapes and vivid colors -- celebrating the rise of commerce, technology, and speed.

The growing impact of the machine can be seen in repeating and overlapping images in works from 1925; and in the 1930s, in streamlined forms derived from the principles of aerodynamics.

The name came from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes, held in Paris, which celebrated living in the modern world. - - It was popularly considered to be an elegant style of cool sophistication in architecture, furniture design and other applied arts, inclusive of luxurious objects made from exotic material to mass produced, streamlined items available to a growing middle class.

Bibelot

Bibelot is from the French word meaning a small object of curiosity, beauty or rarity and is used to refer to a small art object, which is either rare or decorative. In the book trade, it refers to a miniature book, especially one finely made.

Thomas Bird Mosher of Portland, Maine published a literary magazine called The Bibelot. 240 issues were published between 1891-1923. Copies are very collectible. Books published by Mosher are also very collectible. Mosher's publications reflected aspects of the Arts and Crafts, Pre-Raphaelite, Aesthetic, and Art Nouveau movements. His liberal interpretation of nascent copyright laws earned him the reputation of a "literary pirate" but many of the authors he published were quite pleased with the books.

Bibliognost

Someone with a deep knowledge of books.

Black Letter

Some collectors or dealers may choose to specialize in "black letter" items. The type used in the beginnings of printing in Europe was of the kind known as black letter or Gothic (e.g., modern Old English or German), derived from popular handwriting styles.

Block Book

Prior to the introduction of printing with movable type, books were commonly printed in Europe with wood blocks in which the text and illustrations were cut in relief, with woodcut illustrations and text for each page on one block. Block books continued to appear in Europe even after the invention of printing with movable type. However, block books have a richer history in China and Japan, where the large number of written characters made printing from movable type more difficult and initially impractical.

Broadside

A publication consisting of a single sheet (sometimes a few joined sheets) printed as a single page on one side only. Usually intended to be posted, publicly distributed or sold. Proclamations, handbills, ballad sheets, newsheets, sheet calendars are common examples. Often of quarto size or larger. Not the same as a broadsheet, which is used by some authorities to designate a single sheet in which each side is printed as a single sheet.

Broadside Ballad

Early products of the printing press included broadsides about the size of handbills on which were printed the text of ballads. A crude woodcut often headed the sheet, and under the title it was specified that the ballad was to be sung to the tune of some popular air. Musical notation seldom appeared on the broadsides; those who sold the ballads in the streets and at country fairs sang their wares so that anyone unfamiliar with the tune could learn it by listening a few times to the renditions.

From the 16th century until the end of the 19th century, these broadsides, known also as street ballads, stall ballads, or slip songs, were a lively commodity, providing employment for a troop of hack poets. Before the advent of newspapers, the rhymed accounts of current events provided by the broadside ballads were the chief source of spectacular news. Every sensational public happening was immediately clapped into rhyme and sold on broadsheets or broadsides. Few of the topical pieces long survived the events that gave them birth, but a good number of tragedies, such as "The Children in the Wood" and broadsides about Robin Hood, Guy of Warwick, and other national heroes were perennial favourites.

Buckeye

Any kitsch which is painted in oil and produced for the mass market, characterized by sloppy yet facile rendition, and stereotyped, flamboyant, or sentimental treatment of subject matter, typically landscape. Although most commonly used to refer to such work produced during the second half of the nineteenth century, since the production of such painting has never ceased, the term might be applied to later examples as well. In the twentieth century, vast numbers of such pictures have been produced by assembly line methods. Recent examples are the works of Bob Ross (American, -1996), known for his television demonstrations, and Thomas Kinkade (American, 1958-).

Buckram

A BOOK CLOTH made from cotton or linen, usually the former, and closely woven, occasionally with a double warp. It is filled or coated and calendered to give it a smooth finish which blocks well and is reasonably durable.

Originally, the term applied only to a starch-filled fabric; today, however, it applies also to coated and impregnated fabrics having a heavy base. Today, the material used to fill the interstices and/or coat/cover the base fabric is usually PYROXYLIN, but it may be starch, china clay, clay, or other nonfibrous material.

PYROXYLIN treated fabrics, which were introduced in about 1910, represented a major breakthrough in book cloth. The term "pyroxylin treated," as applied to book cloths, means either PROXYLIN COATED OR PYROXYLIN IMPREGNATED cotton fabrics. The difference between the two is the quantity of protective coating applied and the manner of application, as well as the type of material treated.

The PYROXYLIN composition consists of gelatinized nitrocellulose, a plasticizer to impart softness and flexibility, coloring matter, and a solvent. The fabrics used for impregnation are lightweight muslins, while those used for coating are heavier drills, twills, and sheeting.

Coated fabrics are sometimes embossed in imitation of leather. The surface of impregnated fabrics retain the texture of the base materials.

PYROXYLIN IMPREGNATED fabrics are superior to starch-filled fabrics because their surfaces are more water resistant, they are more resistant to insects and fungi, and are generally stronger. They wear well and are particularly suitable for use in library binding.

PROXYLIN COATED fabrics are used extensively in edition binding because of the decorative effects obtainable. They, too, are water repellant and immune to insect attack and fungi, but they do not wear as well as impregnated cloths because of cracking at the joints and occasional peeling of the coating.

Cancel

A tipped-in (pasted in) page which replaces a page removed after a book has been bound. Any part of a book (or leaf or leaves, or part of a leaf) intended to be substituted for the corresponding part of the book as originally printed.

Also called Cancelans. A cancel for only part of a leaf now usually takes the form of a correction slip to be pasted in the original leaf, which is not removed. The term cancel applies to the new part, not the part which it replaces.

Carte de Visite

A 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch photographic "calling card", usually created as one of a number of images on a single photographic plate. Their popularity in America for inexpensive portrait photography started in 1860. Their major competition was the even lower-cost TINTYPE.

Just as the AMBROTYPE had completely displaced the more expensive DAGUERREOTYPE by 1860, the CARTE DE VISTE and its major competitor, the even less expensive TINTYPE, displaced the AMBROTYPE in 1862.

Collation

Used in descriptive bibliography as the term which describes the portion of the book excluding the binding.

Also in bookbinding, the act of COLLATION is verifying the proper sequence and completeness of pages & their gatherings (signatures) before binding.

And for the collector and book seller, the act of COLLATION means to compare books or manuscripts critically in order to note the points of agreement or disagreement.

With the aid of a bibliography, a known authentic copy, or other reference, a book dealer or collector will collate a newly discovered rare book to verify its authenticity.

Contemporary Binding

1. Bindings produced contemporaneously with the printing of the book are said to be contemporary bindings. Or, before 1700, a binding in the style of the decade or even the quarter century in which the book was published.

2. The term may also be used to denote a new binding of an old book in a style contemporaneous with the original binding, or with the styles of the time when the book was published, but the fact that it is a rebinding not done contemporaneously with the printing or publication must be disclosed.

Coranto

An early 17th century news sheet devoted to foreign news, appearing first in Holland and Germany and in 1620-21 in England, issued irregularly as a half-sheet in folio.

After 1622 in England, a quarto newsbook, usually appearing weekly and consisting of three sheets.

Countermark

A secondary watermark in paper of the 18th century and earlier, recording generally initials of maker, place, and date. Its position is usually the center of the half sheet opposite that containing the principal watermark. The date watermark of the early 19th century is frequently placed near one margin.

Dada or Dadaism

A nihilistic movement in the arts that flourished chiefly in France, Switzerland, and Germany from about 1916 to about 1925 [and later] and that was based on the principles of deliberate irrationality, anarchy, and cynicism and the rejection of laws of beauty and social organization, and which ridiculed contemporary culture and traditional art forms. It was born as a consequence of the collapse during World War I of social and moral values which developed to that time.

Dadaists typically produced art objects in unconventional forms produced by unconventional methods. Several artists employed the chance results of accident as a means of production, for instance.

The most widely accepted account of the movement's naming concerns a meeting held in 1916 at Hugo Ball's Cabaret (Café) Voltaire in Zürich, during which a paper knife inserted into a French-German dictionary pointed to the word dada; this word was seized upon by the group as appropriate for their anti-aesthetic creations and protest activities.

In the United States the movement was centered in New York at Alfred Stieglitz's gallery, "291," and at the studio of the Walter Arensbergs. Dada-like activities, arising independently but paralleling those in Zürich, were engaged in by such chiefly visual artists as Man Ray and Francis Picabia. Both through their art and through such publications as The Blind Man, Rongwrong, and New York Dada, the artists attempted to demolish current aesthetic standards. Traveling between the United States and Europe, Picabia became a link between the Dada groups in New York City, Zürich, and Paris; his Dada periodical, 291, was published in Barcelona, New York City, Zürich, and Paris from 1917 through 1924.

In 1917 the Dada movement was transmitted to Berlin, where it took on a more political character. The Berlin artists, too, issued Dada publications: Club Dada, Der Dada, Jedermann sein eigner Fussball ("Everyman His Own Football"), and Dada Almanach.

In Paris Dada took on a literary emphasis under one of its founders, the poet Tristan Tzara.

Most notable among Dada pamphlets and reviews was Littérature (published 1919-24), which contained writings by André Breton, Louis Aragon, Philippe Soupault, and Paul Éluard. After 1922, however, Dada faded and many Dadaists grew interested in surrealism.

Daguerreotype

First real mass market photographic process, introduced in Paris in 1839 by Louis J.M. Daguerre (French, 1787-1851). A DAGUERREOTYPE is essentially a photograph on a copper plate. DAGUERREOTYPES were made of a copper plate, coated with silver, and sensitized with iodine vapor. After a picture was taken, the image was developed on the copper plate with mercury vapor.

DAGUERREOTYPE images were a great success in the marketability of photography. Recognition & Conservation: The DAGUERREOTYPE image is easily damaged by touching as it is on the surface of the plate. Hence the images are usually enclosed in a case or frame with a decorative mat and a protective cover glass.

A DAGUERREOTYPE image will appear as either a positive or negative depending on the angle at which it is viewed and how the light hits the surface. This is unique to the Daguerreotype process and is the most easily recognized feature when the DAGUERREOTYPE is enclosed in a case.

Although normally sealed the silver surface of the DAGUERREOTYPE may show iridescent tarnishing around the edges where air borne pollutants have reached the plate. A DAGUERREOTYPE image cannot be cleaned without referring it to a specialist conservator and to complex chemical or electrolytic cleaning: even these processes are not known to be absolutely safe.

Dos-à-Dos

Two separate books bound together so each cover represents the cover for a different title. Books such as a Psalter and New Testament may be found bound in this way. Compare with tête-bêche.

Drame à Clef

A play in which one or more of the characters are based on real persons, with names disguised. See also ROMAN A CLEF.

Doublure

Ornamental lining (frequently decorated) of leather, silk, vellum, or other material, mounted on the inner face of the cover of a book. The doublure and its accompanying guard leaf take the place of a lining paper.

Festschrift

A complimentary or memorial publication in the form of a collection of essays, addresses, or biographical, bibliographical, scientific or other contributions, often embodying the results of research, issued in honor of a person, an institution or a society, and usually on the occasion of an anniversary celebration. The term is used in book descriptions by booksellers as well as by others.

French-Fold Pages

Pages formed by folding a sheet so that pages are joined at the fore-edge or top edge and printed on the outer sides only. The insides of the folds are blank. The appearance is the same as "unopened pages" with the exception that there is no printing inside the fold. Sometimes referred to as "accordion fold."

Gathering

A gathering is a term used for an unbound group of leaves formed from folding one printed sheet; referred to as a SIGNATURE after binding. A SIGNATURE is bound with other signatures and trimmed to form a book or pamphlet.

Giftbook

Also called Annual or Keepsake, an illustrated literary miscellany or collection of verse, tales, and sketches. The giftbook was popular in England and the United States during the second quarter of the 19th century and was published annually in ornamental format..

The following is one example of one type of giftbook from that era, which is listed on ABE:

Pound. D engraves: THE ANNUAL GIFT-BOOK, a Drawing Room Portrait Gallery. 1859 Folio with biographies & 40 fine steel engraved & guarded steel engraved plates from photographs. Gilt decorated crimson morocco, a.e.g. Slightly rubbed, internally fine [also the 1860 volume as above, in original gilt decorated & embossed buckram, a.e.g. - £250

Half Binding

Binding in cloth-covered boards with leather spine and corners, or paper covered boards with cloth or leather spine and corners. The material used on the spine usually extends on the boards one quarter the width of the board, and the corners are in harmonious proportion. Also called "HALF LEATHER" or "HALF CLOTH". The term, "HALF BINDING" can be applied to any similar combination of two different materials. (see also Quarter Binding)

Hollow

The lining attached to both the spine of the text block and the inside of the spine of the covering material. It is usually constructed of kraft paper, and consists of a folded sheet, one section of which is glued to the spine of the text block and the other to the covering material.

The purpose of the hollow is to assist in the opening of the book.

There are many variations of the hollow, some of which are superior for heavier books. For example, the TWO ON AND ONE OFF in which the basic cloth lining is applied directly to the spine of the book followed by a strip of heavy kraft paper three times the width of the rounded spine glued to this lining, overlapping the spine on one side only. The overlapping part is folded back on itself even with the joint, slid off the spine, and then folded over to make a tube. This is replaced on the spine and the superfluous paper is trimmed off. Depending on the way the hollow is glued on, this method gives "two on and one off" or "one on and two off." Variations of this technique may be achieved by increasing the width of the kraft paper to give "two on and two off," "two on and three off," etc.

Hornbook

An early form of primer, consisting of a sheet of parchment or paper, mounted on a thin piece of wood with a handle at the bottom and protected by transparent horn.

Hors Texte

"Hors texte" is French for "outside of the text" and the term usually refers to plates without printing on the reverse sides. The plates may be tipped in.

Also may appear as HORS TEXTE, VERSOS BLANK, abbreviated as HTVB in a book listing.

Here's an example of a real listing which uses the term.

Pritchard, Allan (ed): VANCOUVER ISLAND LETTERS OF EDMUND HOPE VERNEY, 1862-65; Vancouver: Univ. British Columbia Press (1996). FIRST EDITION, Red hardcover, FINE/NEAR FINE, 307p: frontis, chart, 8p photos hors-texte; 24cm. 0-7748-0554-4 Notes, index. Verney's special interests included the social & legal affairs of colonial life. Canadian Royal Naval History gold rush pioneers British Columbia Canada USD35.00

Imprimatur

In antiquarian books, a statement of official permission to publish given by a secular or an ecclesiastical authority. Now found chiefly in religious works by Catholic authors.

Under law, a license to print or publish a book, paper, etc.

An example of an imprimatur would be the imprimatur of Cambridge University obtained by the publishers of the Encyclopedia Britannica for the 11th edition.

India Paper

An extremely thin yet relatively opaque paper used to help reduce the bulk of what would otherwise be a book of unwieldy size. Frequently used for Bibles and some reference books. Also known as Bible Paper. The name has nothing to do with India and the use of the word is probably due to the British tendency, prevailing down to the 18th century, to describe as Indian anything that came from the Far East.

(Not to be confused with India Proof Paper, sometimes also called INDIA PAPER, used by (engraved) plate-printers to pull proofs, also as a lithographic transfer paper and even to print lithos.)

Is it an Issue or a State?

The terms ISSUE and STATE are frequently used interchangably, but they are actually different. But there is some disagreement among the experts as to exactly what that difference is. Both ISSUE and STATE refer to the priority of copies within an edition. But, ISSUE refers to a distinct group of copies of an edition distinguished from the rest by more or less slight but well-defined variations in the printed matter. Different ISSUES are those in which intentional changes have been made without resetting the type for the whole work.

While STATE, although closely allied to the definition of ISSUE, generally refers to any change other than a correction of the printed matter, such as a change in the color of a binding, insertion of an illustration, etc.

However, some experts disagree and declare that the difference is reflected in the fact that an ISSUE results from some change after some copies have been circulated while a different STATE of the book is caused by a change before copies have been circulated. Under their definition ISSUE and STATE are otherwise synonymous. Under their definition, variant binding STATES of a book would go on sale at the same time when a book is first released, as might happen if the binder ran out of one color of cloth while binding the first printing. And under their definition, variant binding ISSUES of a book would go on sale at different times, as might happen if the pages were printed and then bound in different cloths by different binders.

Whichever definition you use may not be important, since many people use the terms interchangably. Collectors want the earliest STATE or ISSUE of a first printing. The differentiating points that identify specific STATES or ISSUES are called POINTS OF ISSUE.

Kitsch

Art characterized by vapidly sentimental, often pretentious poor taste. It is typically clumsy, repetitive, cheesy, and slickly commercial. Some artists whose work has been considered kitsch are William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825-1905) and Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978). Although their work is much more seriously considered and even admired by some art critics and historians today, there are many other artists whose work continues to be labeled as kitsch. Among contemporary examples, the work of Thomas Kinkade, whose frothing oceans, fantastical cottages and feverishly colorful gardens bear titles like "The Blessings of Spring" and "Hometown Evening," have been called kitsch.

Limp Binding (limp cloth, limp covers, limp leather, limp vellum)

A book which does not have stiff boards but instead has flexible cloth, leather, vellum, or paper sides, which may or may not be lined. Seldom used in reference to paper sides.

Limp vellum bindings appear at least as early as the 14th century on account books. This type of binding was used for convenience and is not considered a craft binding. Other limp vellum bindings were produced in relatively great numbers in the 16th and 17th centuries, but the limp vellum binding declined thereafter until revived by the private presses near the end of the 19th century.

In the last quarter of the 18th century and the first quarter of the 19th century, limp leather was commonly used for books to be carried in the pocket, but for the past century or so limp bindings have been largely used in devotional books, diaries, and sentimental verse, sometimes in the YAPP style.

Mounted and Tipped

Used to describe a plate that is smaller than the leaf to which it is to be attached, and which is positioned above a caption and secured by pasting along the top or side edge, or at the corners.

The entire plate is not usually pasted down because of the greater danger of COCKLING, particularly if the grain directions of the two papers are in opposition. (Cockling in paper is a wrinkled or puckered condition caused by nonuniform drying and shrinkage.)

Nihil Obstat

Literally, ”Nothing hinders", a statement of sanction for publication given by a Catholic book censor; usually found on the verso of the title page or following leaf.

Octavo (8VO)

1. Format: A book printed on sheets folded to make eight leaves or sixteen pages.

2. Size: A book which is approximately 6 by 9 inches, or 20 to 25 cm. in outside height. Also called (with variations in size and name):

Medium Octavo (6 1/8 by 9 1/4 inches)
Royal Octavo (6 1/2 by 10 inches)
Super Octavo (7 by 11 inches)
Imperial Octavo (8 1/4 by 11 1/2 inches)

Offprint

A printing of a section of a larger publication, usually an article previously published in a periodical which may be extracted and separately published as a pamphlet. Today offprints of articles in many scientific journals, medical journals & other magazines may be readily ordered from the publishers or from special offprint services. The offprints are produced upon receipt of orders, typically in specified minimum quantities.

Palimpsest

A manuscript written on a surface from which one or more earlier writings have been erased as completely as possible. Sometimes known as Rescript.

Palimscope

A small instrument about the size of a reading glass which forms a concentrated ultraviolet light source, designed for reading palimpsests and for use in other forms of research.

Paperback Grading

A letter grade system sometimes used for describing the condition of a paperback. An 'A' means there are no blemishes - a perfect (fine) copy - near mint. A 'B' grade is given to a book which is only slightly creased in the spine; it may have an owner's name, initials, or a light stamp in the book. A 'C' grade indicates there are creases in the spine and perhaps on the tips of the cover; this would be a reading copy only.

Parchment

The skin of a lamb, sheep, goat, or young calf, prepared without tanning for use as a writing material. Methods of preparation varied, some involving treatment with oils and stretching. In another method the hides were scrapped, dried and stretched, then rubbed with chalk and pumice. The different processes led to some variety in the final product. More durable than the PAPYRUS used in Egypt, parchment was the chief writing material in Europe from the Middle Ages until the advent of printing brought PAPER into wide use. Vellum is a fine grade of parchment, and was also used in bookbinding.

The distinction today among collectors of manuscripts is that vellum is a more refined form of skin, while parchment is a cruder form, usually thick, harsh, and less highly polished than vellum.

Not to be confused with the parchment papers and vellum papers commonly available today, which are simply transparent or translucent papers that usually run about 21 lb. - 48 lb. in weight.

Perfect Binding

A relatively inexpensive binding method whereby pages or signatures are bound together with glues rather than being sewn. Typically used for paperbacks, manuals, and thicker magazines. Also used for inexpensively binding some hardcovers, including more recent book club editions (such as Science Fiction Book Club editions) and some regular edition hardcovers as well.

Photoxylographs

In the mid-1800s, it was not possible to print a photograph in a newspaper, magazine or book. So when a "correspondent" returned with photographs from battlefields, etc., the "appearance" of the photograph was copied by a skilled artisan as an engraving on a wood block.

One process involved coating the block with photographic emulsion and then exposing it beneath the original photographic negative. Then the wood engraver would settle down to the lengthy, intricate and laborious process of engraving the appearance of the photographic image onto the underlying wood. The resulting engraving was used to print the picture in newspapers, etc.

It has been estimated that there were 60,000 wood engravers in London in the 1870's. As many as 20 different engravers would work simultaneously on the illustrations for a single full page of the Illustrated London News. - The occupation was essentially gone by about 1890, as technical advances made it possible to print both artistic works and photographs without an intervening wood engraving.

Plate

This term derives from the engraved sheet of metal from which an impression of the illustration is taken.

A PLATE is a full page of illustration on a leaf which usually is blank on the other side. The reverse may, however, bear a descriptive legend, the title of the work, or another plate. The leaf is usually of special (heavy) paper, different from that on which the text is printed, and may or may not be included in the pagination.

Also see hors texte, versos blank.

Quarter Binding

Binding in cloth-covered boards with leather backs, or paper covered sides with cloth or leather backs, in which the back material extends only slightly on the sides. In quarter binding, the leather (or cloth) back should extend on the boards one eighth the width of the boards. And in quarter binding, the corners are covered with the same material as the boards. (see also Half Binding)

Recto

The front side of a leaf, which becomes the page on the right side of an open book. (from the Latin “rectus” for right) See Verso.

Reprint Edition

Commonly, a cheap edition of a classic or other public domain work, or of a popular copyrighted work issued through agreement with the original publisher, often printed from the same plates as the original edition.

In the early 1900's, the dominant reprint publishers were Grosset & Dunlap and A L Burt & Company. Grosset & Dunlap also published some reprints under the imprint, Macmillan Standard Library.

Some unique reprint publishers include The Little Leather Library which sold sets of 30 classics for $2.98 by mail order; the Modern Library, which is still flourishing; and Little Blue Books (1919, ten cents a copy) published by Emanuel Haldeman-Julius (also Big Blue Books at 50 cents each).

Blue Ribbon Books was a 1930 inexpensive reprint publisher which also published more expensive reprints under the Halcyon House imprint. - And, there have been a number of other reprint publishers established over the years. Some produce reprints of specialized subjects such as economics. Others, such as Aeonian Press, produce inexpensive limited edition reprints of popular literature that has gone out of print. While still others produce high quality, expensive reprints, including limited editions.

Roman à Clef

A novel in which one or more characters are based on real people, with names disguised. See also: DRAME A CLEF

Tête-bêche

A form of binding in which the text of one work begins at the "front" and the text of another at the "back," head to tail, with the texts being inverted with respect to one another. Such a volume usually includes two or more separate works or versions of the same work(s). Synonymous with inverted pages. Compare with dos-a-dos.

Tête-bêche is also a philately term for a pair of stamps, one of which has been printed inverted.

Tintype

The TINTYPE is a positive image formed by exposing a thin varnished sheet of iron coated with sensitized collodion (gun cotton dissolved in alcohol and ether) in a camera. It was used almost exclusively for inexpensive portraiture. Commonly placed in a leather case. TINTYPES continued to be popular until about 1930.

Unsophisticated

What does it mean when a book listing states that a book is "UNSOPHISTICATED"? - It means pure, genuine, unrestored. In the absence of other detail or condition grading, this can sometimes mean that book condition MAY be less than Good. But it is often used simply to affirm that a book is unrestored, pure and genuine.

Here's an example of use in an actual book listing:

FLEMING, Ian. Casino Royale. $14,765.40 Jonathan Cape, London, 1953. A bright, near fine copy, in VG-NF dust wrapper with two small chips to top of spine, minor wear to extremities, two small indentations to spine, one tiny hole in fold of inner flap, panels and spine are clean and bright. Price clipped, although rear flap retains Casino Royale/Fleming/Cape sash. A lovely, unsophisticated copy of the first Bond novel.

Vellum

1. A thin sheet of specially prepared calfskin, lambskin, kidskin or pigskin.

2. Originally, a thin calf gut, specially prepared for use as parchment, for writing or for bookbinding.

JAPAN VELLUM: A smooth, glossy paper made in imitation of vellum; generally of a light tan color.

Verso

The second or rear side of a leaf in a book, i.e., the left-hand page of an open book usually containing the even page number. Also called the "Reverse". (see Recto)

Woodcut Illustration

The oldest form of print making, a woodcut is a print made from a block of soft wood in which a design is cut in relief along the grain of the wood. In the print, the uncut portions print as black and the parts cut away appear as white. Woodcuts appeared in Europe in the 15th century and continued in popular use through the first half of the 18th century.

As other methods gained popularity, interest in woodcuts declined, but it was revived in the 1880-1900 period. And many artists of the 20th century have also used the woodcut.

Contrast the WOODCUT with the WOOD ENGRAVING which is made by carving on the end-grain of hard woods. One telltale of a wood engraving versus a woodcut is the presence of finely engraved lines in white against a black background, which cannot be achieved in cutting along the grain. The white spaces in a wood engraving have been engraved away.

Also in the wood engraving, generally the lines are white against black background while in the woodcut the lines are black against a white background.

Yapp

Refers to the flexible edges of the cover of a book bound in paper or some other soft material. These edges are not flush with the pages but extend beyond the edges of the book, and are fragile by nature. Used primarily for Bibles and prayer books.

One type of Yapp is called a DIVINITY CIRCUIT, which is a flexible binding of soft leather, such as seal or levant, with edges which extend over the leaves. Used principally for Bibles and prayer books. Also called Yapp, Box Edge and Divinity style.

Yellow Back

A popular, cheap novel -- so called from the former practice, especially in England, of binding such books in yellow board or paper covers.

References

E.J. Labarre, Dictionary and Encyclopaedia of Paper and Papermaking, Swets & Zeitlinger, Amsterdam 1952

Robert Lassam, Portrait and the Camera, 1989

© Big Red Group and Red Star Cafe, 2008