Project Description-  

For the final project of the Rare Books and Special Collections course, I was tasked with conducting research regarding the physicality and collation formula of a rare book from NYPL’s Rare Books room titled “Letters to An Officer…”  

Role-

I am the sole owner/student of this project.

Methods- 

The research component of this project involved three visits of two to three hour sessions at the rare book room. During my visits I assessed the format, type, design, paper, binding, provenance in order to arrive at a complete and accurate collation formula. 

In order to determine characteristics of the book I had to consult the blogs, texts and printed books of several rare book scholars including Philip Gaskell, Sarah Werner and Terry Belanger (founder of the rare book school). For format, I determined it was an octavo and had to evaluate the sewing of the pages to arrive at how many pages were gathered in a distinct group. I had to evaluate the serif nature of the type in order to decide the font family and font. For the paper, I had to hold the pages up against a special light in order to determine the direction of the chainlines— an important indication to the formatting of the book. I also had to evaluate bookplates, rebinding, binding signatures to determine how many times the book has been rebound and evaluate the century and/or decade the book was last rebound. All of these factors allowed me to compose the signing statement (a constructed formula illuminating the physical nature/gatherings of the book), pagination statement (a structured formula illuminating the number of pages in book) and collation formula (a statement evaluating the overall condition of the book composed of pagination, signing and printing errors. 

Learning Outcomes and Rationale- 

This best pairs with the research learning outcome. There is a specific lexicon required to understand and properly research rare books and/or incunabula. This research is original as it is specific to this specific copy of “Letters to an Officer” I make note of the marginalia, page tears and other signs of use that make this copy distinct outside of other printing practices and/or errors. Outside of the physicality, I discuss research potential– researching the possibilities that could come from critical and thorough study of this imprint. 

This type of research is investigative and demands logical, thorough reasoning based in bibliographic praxis and tradition. Using deductive reasoning and critical thinking to devise pagination statements, signing statements and a collation formula is all inline with descriptive bibliography research and analytical research.  

COLLATION FORMULA; 8⁰: [A]⁴B-H⁸, [$4 signed]; 59 leaves, pp. [1] 111, check= 116

Below I have included my research paper and slide deck.