Publishing in the 19th Century
Boards and Cloth: Publishers’ Editions Bindings
Sadleir’s collection is an excellent source for studying the history of book binding in the 19th century. Since he placed great store by obtaining perfect specimens, there are many beautiful representatives of the various stages of binding.
Before 1800 books were sold unbound in stitched folded sheets inside a protective paper wrapper. The book buyer, whether it was an individual or a shop, sent these sheets to a binder for custom leather binding.
Exquisite custom-bound, three volume set of Jane Austen’s Emma [62d], published by John Murray in 1816.
Alternatively the bookseller arranged for a simple trade binding of the sheets, meant to be a temporary cover, and sold those books at a slightly higher price. From 1780 pasteboard or strawboard replaced paper wrappers on most books before sale, and a paper label affixed to the spine denoted the author or title or both. This copy of Vivian Grey illustrates the pasteboard cover.
Boards and label binding for Disraeli’s Vivian Grey [784], published by Colburn in 1826-1827.
As the size of the reading public increased, book societies and lending libraries catering to them, needed immediate bound supplies. The publisher began manufacturing book covers in quantity, adding this cost to the price of the book. In 1825, a new cotton cloth which retained its stiffness after gluing was used as casing material. It was more durable than paper boards, and by 1850, cloth had become the standard uniform for edition bindings.
Mitford’s Our Village illustrates the difference between the two types of binding and the variety of binding types in these early years. Although all of the volumes of the first edition of (shown here) were published by the same firm, George Whittaker, not one matches another. Volumes 1-4, printed and sold between 1824 and 1830, were issued in traditional boards, cloth spine and paper label. Volume 5 is bound in the new cotton cloth, here it is green watered cloth with a leather spine. The price on the label changes on volumes 1-3 as does the number of lines or rules; one copy of volume 4 is in boards only, the other copy of volume 4 is in boards with a cloth spine.
Boards and label binding for Mitford’s Our Village [1752a-c, 1752c(i)], published by Whitaker from 1824 through 1830, and cloth bound copy of volume V [1752d], 1832
Moxon issued both styles of binding, boards and cloth, for Martineau’s Deerbrook [1632, 1632a] in 1839.
Smooth cloth was roughened by rollers to produce a pattern which simulates leather and seals the threads. Both book cloth and paperboard bindings coexisted through the first half of the century.
Saunders & Otley used pink and white glazed cloth for the spine of this 1834 edition of Marryat’s Peter Simple [1592b] in boards.
Marryat’s Peter Simple in boards
A machine process invented in 1832 enabled the rapid application of gold lettering and even decoration directly on cloth spines. One of the earliest examples of this use is on Michael Scott’s Tom Cringle’s Log, copy 2 and copy 3, on fine diaper cloth and morocco cloth respectively. Copy 2 further illustrates the decorative use of gold, as depicted by the anchor on the spine. Copy 1 is morocco leather binding; all three were published in 1833 by Blackwood & Cadell of Edinburgh.
Scott’s Tom Cringle’s Log [3040, 3040a, 3040b] published by Blackwood and Cadell, 1832 and 1833.
These two 1836 copies of Scott’s Cruise of the Midge [3039, 3039a] were bound in cloth, the first in morocco pattern, the second in diaper.
Elaborate designs pressed into cloth and often gilded display significant shift from a utilitarian to an ornamental style in publisher’s bindings.
Saunders & Otley produced some outstanding publishers’ bindings. Sadleir regarded this 1837 edition of Marryat’s Jacob Faithful [1578c] as one of the finest. A ship in full rigging has been stamped or blocked in blind on the cloth cover.
Lettering became increasingly decorative from 1840 to 1850 and titles routinely occupy the length of the spines. Here Bentley uses the artist George Cruickshank’s popularity not only reproducing his design for this cover but also by putting his name on the spine.
Bentley used a design by Cruikshank for this handsome gold blocked cover of Ainsworth’s Tower of London in 1840 [31].
Bright colored cloth, mottled or patterned cloth, elaborate designs pressed into cloth covers and often gilded, display a significant shift from a utilitarian to an ornamental style in publishers’ bindings.
Robert Ballantyne’s adventure novels for boys illustrate the ornamental style in publishers’ bindings (The Iron Horse [114], Floating Light [109], and Erling the Bold [107]).
Also on the spine of Ballantyne’s novels, you can just discern the name of the publisher on the spine, “James Nisbet & Co.” Sadleir remarks on the new custom of setting the publisher’s name at the foot of the spine. At this time, the publisher’s position in the book world was strengthening: his name certified the quality of the book and guided the bookseller as he stocked his shelves.
An exception to the trend of decorative bindings occurred during the period of 1848 to 1858 when binding cloth became scarce due to a cotton shortage and the Crimean War.
The trade reverted to boards and labels as represented by Rosina Bulwer Lytton’s novel, Very Successful [462], published in 1856.
