Antique Book Glossary: A-L
| Americana- Any book related to the history, culture, or politics of the United States. Although book auction catalogs often use the term more broadly to include Canada and the Caribbean nations. Association Copy- Any book whose individual value is increased due to a previous owner's fame or close association with the author. At one time the term was used to describe copies of a book owned by the book's author only but over time has widened to include other parties. For Example, a copy of a Robert Grave's book of poetry that he gave to screen legend Eva Gardner would enjoy increased association copy value. Autograph- Any text written on a book or document by its author not just their signature. A letter might be signed but have been written on a typewriter however a letter described as an autograph letter was written by the hand that signed it. Binding- The materials and processes used to give a book its cover. Usually this is done by gluing or stitching several paper folios together to form the book and glued. Blank- Any unprinted page included in a book. They can be intentionally used to protect printed pages or they can be accidental misprints. Block Printing- A method of printing used during the 15th century. It involves carving all text and images to be printed onto a page into a block of wood. The block is then inked and used to print pages. The process invariably ruined the blockpreventing it from being used in reprints. Codex- The normal book format in which folded printed sheets are stitched together along one edge. Corrigenda- A rather old fashion term for something much like an erratum sheet. It still ocasionally appears in reference books and antique book auction catalogs. It was originally meant to differintiate between the authors changes to the text and printing errors. Dust Jacket- The paper covering that protects and promotes a hardcover book. It first appeared on books during the 1800s and was originally meant to protect the book from the element however publishers quickly learned the dustjacket's value as a marketing tool and began printing images and related text on them. Dust jackets suffer from their roll protecting books and rarely remain in good condition. A jacket in excellent condition goes a long way towards improving an antique book's value. Edition- Modern publishing uses the term to mean each time they reissue a title. In the old days of hand press printing it meant each occasion that they used a new set of type. Engraving- An illustration in a book produced by printing from an engraved steel or copper plate. Extra Illustrated- It was a fairly common practice during the 19th century to add material to books after purchase. Usually this was in the form of illustrations but could include text as well. Antique book catalogues use the term to inform buyers of a book to which material has been added after publication. Facsimile- Any exact reproduction of an antique book or manuscript. This is as opposed to copy that may have the same text as another book but look quite different. Foxing- Brown or tan blotches commonly seen on antique book pages. While initially caused by chemical impurities in the paper foxing is always aggravated by poor and careless storage. Halftone- A letter pressed or lithographic image reproduced by breaking the image into a collection of pixels or dots. Hinge- The weakened area at the joint between the board and back of a book. Hinge condition is an important determiner of the overall condition of a book. A damaged or weakened hinge is a death knell for a book unless repaired. Imprint- A statement or logo printed usually low on the title page that reveals the publisher or printers name, location, and the year of the books publication. Inscription- Any text added to a book by hand after publication. Normally the inscription is a personal message to proclaim ownership or to present the book as a gift. Leaf- While the term technical describes two pages that face one another it is commonly used to mean a single page of a book. Lithograph- Any image reproduced from a plate carved from a block of a porous rock, usually limestone. The block is soaked with chalk and graphite and fixed with an acid solution. ---- Posted on July 16th, 2006 Silas finch is a freelance writer and regular contributor to several antique websites. He can be reached at Content and Solutions |
