I have come across some gorgeous and eye-catching book covers during the course of this
project [see the four examples]. They
say 'don’t
judge a book by its cover', but
everything from the font used in the title to the texture of the cover
influences our decision whether or not to delve into a book. Since the beginning, covers have reflected
the design trends and techniques of their day.
Before the early Nineteenth Century, books were hand bound and most manuscripts were covered in material such as vellum or calf leather. Book binding was primarily for protection of the manuscripts, which were often decorated with materials as gold, silver and jewels.
In the early Nineteenth Century, publishers assumed a greater role in the book production process, and were one of the forces behind the replacement of old wooden presses with iron ones. This technological breakthrough helped reduce the cost of producing a book.
In order to reduce the cost further, alternative materials were sought to replace the expensive leather which had been commonly used to cover books. In the early 1830s, the industry found a suitable variety of cloth so that the cover design could be printed directly onto it. Metal blocks were employed to transfer cover designs to the cloth, which meant that cloth could be as versatile as leather. As this process was cheaper and easier, cloth replaced leather in the production of book covers and became a staple in book bindery. Paper was also increasingly used as a covering material during the 19th century, but only later fully replaced cloth covers. These new materials, as well as being less expensive to produce and easier to print on, allowed for the development of new techniques such as multicolour lithography and half-tone illustration, which increased publishers' abilities to create ever more interesting and unique cover art.
A book cover has the ability to attract, delight and enhance the reading experience for all. The images used throughout this blog are some of my favourites to be discovered so far. Sometimes you really can and should judge a book by its cover, so why not come down and see what catches your eye in the Local Studies Library here at Hull History Centre...
Caoimhe West, Unlocking the Treasures Project
Before the early Nineteenth Century, books were hand bound and most manuscripts were covered in material such as vellum or calf leather. Book binding was primarily for protection of the manuscripts, which were often decorated with materials as gold, silver and jewels.
In the early Nineteenth Century, publishers assumed a greater role in the book production process, and were one of the forces behind the replacement of old wooden presses with iron ones. This technological breakthrough helped reduce the cost of producing a book.
In order to reduce the cost further, alternative materials were sought to replace the expensive leather which had been commonly used to cover books. In the early 1830s, the industry found a suitable variety of cloth so that the cover design could be printed directly onto it. Metal blocks were employed to transfer cover designs to the cloth, which meant that cloth could be as versatile as leather. As this process was cheaper and easier, cloth replaced leather in the production of book covers and became a staple in book bindery. Paper was also increasingly used as a covering material during the 19th century, but only later fully replaced cloth covers. These new materials, as well as being less expensive to produce and easier to print on, allowed for the development of new techniques such as multicolour lithography and half-tone illustration, which increased publishers' abilities to create ever more interesting and unique cover art.
A book cover has the ability to attract, delight and enhance the reading experience for all. The images used throughout this blog are some of my favourites to be discovered so far. Sometimes you really can and should judge a book by its cover, so why not come down and see what catches your eye in the Local Studies Library here at Hull History Centre...
Caoimhe West, Unlocking the Treasures Project
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