Post by MargaretAnne on Oct 12, 2023 16:03:45 GMT -5
I saw a photo of some books on a shelf. There was a gold lyre imprinted on the spine of the first two books, although my first thought was that they were harps. I was curious about the lyre and wondered if it was a publisher's logo. I couldn't read the name just below it. It was a two-volume set of the poetical works of Alexander Pope. I tried to find it by searching for poetical works by Alexander Pope online, hoping to see if a lyre jumped out at me. I tried to find the publisher that uses that logo. It was a photo that I saw on Flickr, so I made a comment and I received a reply. I was told that the lyre would seem to be the symbol of the publisher, James Nichol, of Edinburgh. The books were published in 1856 and he bought them in 1963 for much less than they would cost today.
James Nichol, of Edinburgh, also published the poetical works of John Milton. They're being sold by a bookseller and the image of the lyre can be clearly seen on the spine of the two-volume set.
Poetical Works of John Milton
Steinway & Sons also uses the lyre and their name as trademarks.
I looked up the expression "tickle the ivories" and discovered that they haven't used ivory in the making of piano keys since 1956.
Origin of Tickling the Ivories:
"In the past, the white keys of the piano were covered with an ivory veneer. Nowadays this practice is not common since there are laws against harvesting ivory."
www.steinwaybocaraton.com/about/159-facts-about-steinway-and-the-pianos-they-build
Something I found in the form of a question:
The book jacket on new books doesn't give the reader much of an inclination to see what the hard cover underneath looks like. That gives me the idea to take the book jacket off a few books the next time I go to Barnes & Noble, just to see what it looks like. They're rather plain, most likely. When they invest money to have someone design the book jacket, I guess they wouldn't care much about what most people don't see. It matters more with a library edition of a children's book in a school or a library that has more wear. Some people prefer the glossy look of the transparent cover that protects the book jacket and prevents it from tearing. Leatherbound or leatherlike or "leathersoft" Bibles, devotionals and other books still have more decorative embellishments.
I found an article about the history of dust jackets. It was a real eye opener when I read that the first edition of "The Great Gatsby" with its book jacket was worth so much more than without.
An excerpt from the article:
bookriot.com/history-of-dust-jackets/
James Nichol, of Edinburgh, also published the poetical works of John Milton. They're being sold by a bookseller and the image of the lyre can be clearly seen on the spine of the two-volume set.
Poetical Works of John Milton
Steinway & Sons also uses the lyre and their name as trademarks.
I looked up the expression "tickle the ivories" and discovered that they haven't used ivory in the making of piano keys since 1956.
Origin of Tickling the Ivories:
"In the past, the white keys of the piano were covered with an ivory veneer. Nowadays this practice is not common since there are laws against harvesting ivory."
1956-Steinway along with the other American piano manufacturers all agreed to abandon ivory and start using plastic for keys.
www.steinwaybocaraton.com/about/159-facts-about-steinway-and-the-pianos-they-build
Something I found in the form of a question:
There is a word for the publisher's logo at the bottom of the title page and on the spine of a book, but I can't recall it.
That would be called "the Publisher's Logo." Perhaps you are referring to the material which describes who designed the book; the publisher's data; the materials used in its production [etc]. This is called "the colophon."
Added: "Publisher's Mark" is an alternative for "Logo"
Chambers dictionary defines colophon as " publisher's imprint or emblem: formerly an inscription at the end of a book, often naming the author or scribe [...] as on a modern title page".
Colophon: In publishing, a colophon is a brief statement containing information about the publication of a book such as the place of publication, the publisher, and the date of publication. A colophon may also be emblematic or pictorial in nature.
That would be called "the Publisher's Logo." Perhaps you are referring to the material which describes who designed the book; the publisher's data; the materials used in its production [etc]. This is called "the colophon."
Added: "Publisher's Mark" is an alternative for "Logo"
Chambers dictionary defines colophon as " publisher's imprint or emblem: formerly an inscription at the end of a book, often naming the author or scribe [...] as on a modern title page".
Colophon: In publishing, a colophon is a brief statement containing information about the publication of a book such as the place of publication, the publisher, and the date of publication. A colophon may also be emblematic or pictorial in nature.
The book jacket on new books doesn't give the reader much of an inclination to see what the hard cover underneath looks like. That gives me the idea to take the book jacket off a few books the next time I go to Barnes & Noble, just to see what it looks like. They're rather plain, most likely. When they invest money to have someone design the book jacket, I guess they wouldn't care much about what most people don't see. It matters more with a library edition of a children's book in a school or a library that has more wear. Some people prefer the glossy look of the transparent cover that protects the book jacket and prevents it from tearing. Leatherbound or leatherlike or "leathersoft" Bibles, devotionals and other books still have more decorative embellishments.
I found an article about the history of dust jackets. It was a real eye opener when I read that the first edition of "The Great Gatsby" with its book jacket was worth so much more than without.
An excerpt from the article:
The big change in attitudes towards dust jackets today is how collectible they are. A rare book will sell for drastically different prices depending on whether they come with a dust jacket and the condition of the jacket. A copy of a first edition of "The Great Gatsby" will reportedly sell for around $10,000 sans jacket. With a dust jacket, however, it can go for up to $150,000, depending on condition (Fine Books).
Early dust jackets are rare because they were meant to be disposed of. Paradoxically, this makes them valuable and collectible today. So much so that there are companies devoted to making facsimile dust jackets: reproductions of the original jacket meant to be indistinguishable. This can make a book more appealing to the average reader, and can be clearly stated in the listing of the book, or it can be an attempt to raise the price of a book by implying or outright stating that it’s a rarer edition than it is.
I hope that you found some of these factoids interesting! I love seeing how books have evolved as objects over time.
Early dust jackets are rare because they were meant to be disposed of. Paradoxically, this makes them valuable and collectible today. So much so that there are companies devoted to making facsimile dust jackets: reproductions of the original jacket meant to be indistinguishable. This can make a book more appealing to the average reader, and can be clearly stated in the listing of the book, or it can be an attempt to raise the price of a book by implying or outright stating that it’s a rarer edition than it is.
I hope that you found some of these factoids interesting! I love seeing how books have evolved as objects over time.
bookriot.com/history-of-dust-jackets/