Books will speak plain : a handbook for identifying and describing historical bindings / Julia Miller.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Miller, Julia (Conservator), author.

Contributor:

Jones, J. Wayne (James Wayne), 1948- photographer.

Spitzmueller, Pamela J., illustrator.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bookbinding--History.

Bookbinding.

Bookbinding--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Cataloging of rare books--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Cataloging of rare books.

Genre:

History

Handbooks and manuals

Handbooks and manuals.

Physical Description:

xvi, 699 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm

Edition:

Third edition, revised and enlarged.

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor, Michigan : The Legacy Press, 2023.

Summary:

Books Will Speak Plain combines an overview of the history of the codex with basic information about many of the materials and structures found on historical bindings. The book also includes description-survey guidelines and is supported by a variety of appendices. The text is illustrated by 390 images, most in full color, and purchasers will have exclusive access to online pdfs that reproduce all of the images printed in the book plus additional ones of those books, as well as a multitude of other examples of bindings that further illustrate the history of binding structures. The book's focus on non-luxury bindings adds depth to an often-neglected segment of bookbinding history--Publisher's statement.

Contents:

Introduction. The purpose of this handbook

The early history of the codex

The medieval manuscript book and beyond

1450-1800: the book changes radically

The book from 1800 to 1900

Identifying binding materials and applications

Describing historical bindings: a template for action

The task ahead and conclusion

Appendix 1. Historical bindings: structure and style hierarchy

Appendix 2. Sample survey suggestions and description case studies

Appendix 3. Stacks maintenance.

Notes:

"J. Wayne Jones (photography), Pamela Spitzmueller (drawings)"--Title page verso.

"In addition to the text being revised and enlarged, the images of books are in full color; in the 1st and 2nd editions, many are in black and white ... Earlier editions of this book included a DVD, which reproduced all of the image printed in the book plus additional ones of each of those books, as well as a multitude of other examples of bindings that further illustrate the history of binding structures. Purchasers of the third edition can access these images at http://www.thelegacypress.com/books-will-speak-plain-image-pdf.html."

Includes bibliographical references (pages [638]-675) and index.

ISBN:

9781940965192

1940965195

OCLC:

1378641734

Online:

supplemental images