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Sewn
When the book is sewn (the French abbreviation is br.), this is indicated just after the format. For : "in-16 br." Or " in-fº br." and describes an unfinished binding which has only the printer´s wire holding it together and a simple cover. All other bindings are applied after the book has been collated.
Boards
Boarding is mass-produced, machine-made binding like those produced by Mame of Tours or Hetzel in Paris). The body proper of the book is encased in boards covered with a printed cloth or paper cover which is usually very decorative and stuck down using a muslin cloth. It is important to note if the board is in perfect condition or not as this can have a great influence on the price of the book.
Bradel
The Bradel binding was invented by Alexis Bradel at the beginning of the 19th century and was originally considered a temporary cased binding. Its popularity however made it more permanent. It can de recognised by the groove where the front cover meets the spine. Originally this type of binding was covered by paper stuck with decorative details. Nowadays, other materials like leather are used. It is a binding that gives bookbinders complete freedom of design.
Details of other bindings merely state whether they are full cloth, cornered half cloth, full leather or cornered half leather.
A full cloth (or full leather) binding means that the volume is completely covered in that material
A cornered half cloth (or cornered half leather) means that only the back, the joint (first third of the cover) and the corners are covered with cloth (or leather).
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Purists will also note the type of leather used for covering or binding the book. The different leathers are not always easy to recognise. Here are some examples and descriptions of the most common ones:
Hard grained morocco is a small grained leather which is goatskin tinted in different colours which has been in use since the 19th century.
Morocco is leather that was used on valuable books only and can be recognised by its very marked grain. It is often stained red or green and was originally supplied by South African goats. It has been used since the 17th century.
Calfskin leather was much used before the French Revolution. It can be recognised by its smooth grain. It is usually stained brown using walnuts and as a result is often streaky or spotted.
Parchment comes from goat or sheepskin treated with lime to bleach it. A sturdy leather, it was used from the 16th century onwards to bind or cover legal, technical and religious books.
Vellum, is, like parchment, treated with lime and produces a very fine skin that was mostly used for manuscripts and illuminated writings. It is produced from stillborn kids and lambs.
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i. French reference abbreviations
ii. English reference abbreviations
French reference abbreviations explained |
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ads, advts,adverts : Advertisements placed in the binding of the book
aeg : All Edges Gilt
als : Autographed Letter, Signed
Ams : Autographed Manuscript, Signed
bc,bce : Book Club
bd : Bound
bdg : Binding
bds : Boards
bomc : Book of the Month Club
b/w : Black & White Illustrations, Photographs, etc
cl : Cloth
dec, decor : Decored. Often referred to a binding, as in dec. cl.
dj : Dust jacket
dw : Dust Wrapper
ed : Edited, Edition, Editor
ep : End Papers
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ex : Example
Ex-lib : Ex-Library
f or fn : fine
ffep : front flyleaf end papersfr
g : good
ge orgt : Gilt Edges
hvtb : Hors Texte, Versos Blank
Ill, Ills, Illus : Illustrated
insc : Inscribed
l,ll : Leaf
lp : Larger-paper edition
Ltd : Limited Edition
ms,mss : Manuscript
nd : No Date
nf : Near Fine condition
No, Nos,# : Number
op : Out of Print
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orig : Original
pb, ppr : Paperback
pl,pls : Plates
pub : Publisher or published
rem : Remainder
rfep : The end paper that is not attached to the inside rear cover.
rm : Remainder Marks
ser : Series
teg : Top Edge Gilt or Gilt Edges
tls : Typed Letter Signed
tp : Title Page
tpi : Title Page Index
unpag : Unpaginated
vg : Very Good
wr, wrs : Wrappers
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[Top] [Menu] [1.Format] [2.Binding] [3.Leather] [4.Abbreviations] [5.Diagram] [6.Dictionary]
Advanced Copy : A copy for booksellers and reviewers, either bound in paperwraps or a copy of the trade edition with a review slip laid in.
Aquatint : Hollow acid engraving, imitating a wash drawing.
As issued : A term indicating a given book is in the original condition as published.
As Usual : A favourite term to describe defects which probably occur only on copies of the book the particular dealer handles, such as " lacks endpapers, as usual ".
Association Copy : A book or pamphlet that has some indication of having belonged to the author or someone closely associated with them.
Basil : Sheepskin tanned using plant materials.
Binding Copy : A book that needs to be rebound and is worth rebinding.
Blind-stamping : An impressed mark, decoration, or lettering, not coloured or gilded, usually appearing on the binding.
Block : name given to plates engraved on wood.
Block Books : Books made around the mid 1400s in Germany and the Netherlands in which pictures and explanatory text were printed from wooden blocks.
Book Club : Edition of a book printed especially for a book club. All books are of a uniform size and usually produced with cheaper materials.
Book label : A label indicating the ownership of a book. Generally smaller than a bookplate.
Bookmarker : Silk or cotton ribbon placed at the front or the middle of the book's back, before fixing the headband, used by the reader to mark his place.
Book-plate : A label stuck in by the owner, usually with a printed design.
Cased binding : Binding for which volume and cover are made separately. The casing is the reunion of both parts at the end of the work.
Condition : The condition of a book is usually given with the first part indicating the condition of the book itself and the second that of the dust jacket. i.e. VG/VG, Fine/Good, VG/--, etc.
1) As New - To be used only when the book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. There can be no defects, missing pages, library stamps, etc., and the dust jacket (if it was issued with one) must be perfect, without any tears.
2) Fine - Approaches the condition of As New, but without being pristine. To use the term Fine, there should be no defects, etc., but if the jacket has a small tear, or other defect, or looks worn, this should be noted.
3) Very Good - Describes a book that does show some small signs of wear - but no tears- on either binding or paper. Any defects must be noted.
4) Good - Describes the average used worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Any defects must be noted.
5) Fair - Worn book that has complete text pages (including those with maps or plates) but may lack endpapers, half-title, etc. (Which must be noted), Binding, jacket (if any), etc., may also be worn. All defects must be noted.
6) Poor - Describes a book that does have the complete (legible) text, but is so worn that its only merit is as a Reading Copy. Any missing maps or plates should still be noted. Such a book may be soiled, scuffed, stained or spotted and may have loose joints, hinges, pages, etc.
These terms are fairly e arbitrary, and leave room for error and doubt.
Deckle edges : Untrimmed page edge that can seem shorter than the other pages. A book with deckle edges is one whose foredge and tail are not smooth but irregular.
Dry-point engraving: Direct engraving procedure on metal with a steel or diamond point. The appearance of metal threads on the sides of the engraving gives a very interesting effect.
Dummy : A mock-up, used by salesmen in the late 19th and early 20th century to show prospective buyers what the book would look like. It usually had a title page, 10 or 20 pages of text, and then blank pages to fill out the rest of the binding.
Dust Jacket : A term synonymous with dust wrapper, indicating the, usually decorative, paper wrapper placed around a book to protect the binding.
Edge : A distinction should be made between the foredge (front edge as opposed to the back or spine and generally hollowed out); the top edge (upper edge); and the lower spine (lower edge).
End-papers : Pages at the front and back of a book, between the title, the half title and the cover.
Etching : A soft engraving allowing great freedom of expression. The artist scratches with a needle through a varnish coating onto a metal sheet, which is then covered with nitric acid or iron chloride. The chemicals then eat away the metal.
Ex-Libris : A Latin expression meaning "From the Library of".
First appearance Edition : The first appearance as a complete book or pamphlet of a work that has previously appeared as part of another book.
First edition : Generally used by book dealers and collectors to mean the first printed appearance of a work in book or pamphlet form.
First Thus : Means not first edition, but something is new. It may be revised, have a new introduction by the author or someone else, but the first publication in paperback form, or first by another publisher.
First trade edition : The edition produced for general commercial sale, as distinguished from a limited edition.
Foot of spine : Lower part of a volume, lower edge.
Foredge : Front edge of a bound book, with a hollow-out form as opposed to the rounded back.
Foxing : Brown spotting of paper caused by a chemical reaction, generally found in 19th century books, particularly in steel engravings of the period.
Frontispiece : Engraving placed facing the title of a book.
Gathering : A group of sheets folded together for sewin or gluing into the binding.
Groove : In the Bradel binding, a gutter separates, on the outside, the sides from the boards. The boards are not pushed to the end of the joints, but a turn-in is made, which determines a characteristic furrow in which the leather or cloth is bound.
Guard : Thin paper or cloth bands (Jap-velum or simile- Jap velum) which are used to glue separate leaves or out-of-texts.
Headband : Bright coloured silk thread embroidery placed on the upper and lower part of the book's spine.
Incunabula : Books, pamphlets, calendars etc printed before 1500. : Laid Paper : Handmade paper in which the showing parallel lines of the papermaking frame are, visible when help up to the light.
Issue : Proofs printed by the artist during the course of his engraving work to judge its advancement. These proofs, usually printed in a small number of examples can be mediocre, common or superb. Each change in an engraved plate whether voluntary or not can be called an issue.
Jaspé : Randomly coloured front edges made by spraying paint through a grid, imitating jasper.
Joint : The right-angled groove formed where the back and cover boards joint. Also refers to the half binding that covers a strip of the covers.
Leaf : The front and back of a single page in a book or notebook.
Limited Edition : Any book whose publication is deliberately restricted to a comparatively small number of copies, usually numbered and often signed by the author and/or illustrator.
Limp : An adjective describing a flexible binding in suede or imitation leather such as that used on the early titles of the Modern Library.
Lithograph : A drawing (brush or quill) in pencil or special ink on a lithographic stone or transfer paper and printed with a special press. Unlike ground etching, lithography does not produce plate marks or raised areas like wood engravings.
Made-up Copy : A copy of a book whose parts have been assembled from one or more defective copies.
Mint Copy : An absolutely perfect copy, as pristine as the day it was issued.
Modern First : All books which were published in this century.
Morocco : Goatskin tanned with plant extracts, wide grained and fairly thick.
Out of Print : A book no longer being printed.
Pamphlet : A small separate work issued in paperwraps.
Paperback : A Book in paperwraps generally published since the 1930's, although it can describe any book with a paper cover.
Pastedown endpaper : Inner side of the board facing the volume.
Pictorial : Describes a book with a picture on the cover.
Presentation Copy : A copy of a book actually given by the author to someone of his acquaintance, usually with an inscription of some sort testifying to this.
Print : general name for a printed engraving.
Private Press : A small press, often operated by one person, usually devoted to the production of small quantities of finely printed books.
Proof : results of the printing of an engraving.
Raised bands : Produced on the spine by the cords or thongs to which the sections of the book are sewn and which lie slightly proud of the surface to form ridges in the binding. The same effect can be obtained by imitation in which case they are known as false bands.
Reading Copy : A copy of a book that is worn or used to such a degree that it is not in good enough condition to be considered collectable.
Re-backed : A book that has been repaired with a new spine and mended hinges.
Remainder : When a book has ceased to sell, a publisher may get rid of his overstock by " remaindering " the title.
Seat : Parts of a notebook that form the back and through which one passes the threads that binds it.
Shagreen : tanned goatskin with narrow grain.
Shaken : An adjective describing a book whose pages are beginning to come loose from the binding.
Side : Part of the paper, cloth or leather that covers the binding board.
Signature : Letter, number or symbol to indicate the order for assembling the book usually found in the lower left corner of the first page of each folded section.
Soft-ground etching : Etching made by adding beef-fat and imitating pencil line when printed.
Spine-ends : turn in at top and bottom of the spine.
Thousands : Some publishers in the nineteenth century added a notice on the title page stating, for instance " Eight Thousand " to indicate a later printing. These are not first editions.
Three-decker : A book in three volumes, almost exclusively used to describe Victorian novels of late nineteenth century.
Tirage : French for " print run " Usually used for a limited edition, often numbered and dated.
Top edge : Top of the volume or upper edge of the book.
Trimmed : An adjective indicating that the pages have been cut down to a size smaller than when originally issued.
Turn-in : the inner edge of the boards (sides) projecting beyond the body of the book, often with gilt decoration on quality binding.
Waterstained : Discoloration and perhaps actual shrinking of the leaves or binding.
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