A
ARTIFICIAL COLLECTION
Paperbacked books or small books separately published, usually dealing with the same subject-matter, are bound together.
AUTOGRAPHS
Meaning literally: "written in a person’s own handwriting". This definition comprises signatures, letters (either autographed or signed) and even the voluminous manuscript of a work. Each autograph is a unique written output, the irreplaceable sign of personality. Subject-matters are manifold: authors, historic characters, periods, regions, and the most heterogeneous topics. Autographs are beginning to arouse increasing interest. Expert booksellers, affiliated to the National Trade Union of Old and Modern Bookshops, will assist you in distinguishing genuine from fake editions and will offer their effective and enthusiastic advice. Their catalogues contain vast and extensive information.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
A compilation of information in print on a specific subject or a list of works of a specific writer and the various editions thereof, in order to become acquainted with them, conduct a more thorough research, or confirm a specific investigation. There are thousands of bibliographies which cover the most dissimilar subjects. By exploring these reference works you may be able to ascertain the exact number of engravings pertaining to a specific book at the time of its publication so as to identify the original edition and each one of the subsequent ones, whose price, in general, decreases in time. (For example, The booksellers’ and booklovers’ manual by Jacques-Carles Brunet, The treasure of the romantic and modern bibliophiles by Leopold Carteret...).
BIBLIOPHILE AND BIBLIOPHILY
"A person who loves, investigates and safeguards with great care peculiar and precious books" (Petit Robert Dictionary).
Bibliophily is always a creative passion since booklovers develop their taste for books step by step. Therefore, they put together, with great pleasure, a group of books which will become more valuable with the passing of the years.
BINDING
Protecting cover of books which may constitute, by itself, a real work of art.
- Ais (small wooden plank): A plank covered with wood used in medieval and mid-XVI century bookbinding (later on replaced by cardboard).
- Arms, armors: heraldic marks printed on bindings.
- Sheepskin: Lambskin used in ordinary binding.
- Box: Sheepskin prepared from chromium having a brilliant and smooth appearance which is particularly suitable for modern de luxe binding.
- Bradel: method devised by the binder Bradel by the end of the XVIII century. The book has a spine without veins and a gorge at the junction of the covers thus making the opening of the book more easy.
- Chagrin (pebbled skin):manufactured from the skin of donkeys, she-mules, horses.
- Coiffe: the end of book’s spine consisting of the head- cap (top) and the bottom- cap (bottom). It is not recommended to avoid holding books by its ends.
- Inside cover: inner part of a cover.
- Côté chair: inner part of a skin.
- Côté fleur: outer part of a skin.
- Cover a book (couvrure): Wrap a book in leather, cloth, vellum, etc.
- Russian leather: after a birchwood bath it is particularly moss resistant. It is highly reputed by bibliophiles but it is very fragile.
- Hard-decorated: decorated or engraved binding, without gold.
- Half-bound (Demi-reliure): The cover of the spine of the book encroaches a bit upon the covers in leather, cloth or vellum and the rest is often covered with paper.
- Double lining (Doublure): De luxe coating of the auxiliary cover in calf-skin, morocco leather, suede, silk, etc.
- Spine (Dos): visible part of the book when placed in bookshelves. In general, the author's name and title are printed thereon.
- Engraving: Method of decorating bindings by wedging.
- Fers: Instruments used to make golden or hard-impressions on leather.
- Galuchat: Fish skin (shark or ray) used in the XVII century. It was again in fashion in the 20's.
- Fore edge (Gouttière): the part of the book opposite the spine (outer part).
- Marbled effect (Jaspure): decoration with small spots of color.
- Janséniste: A good-quality plain binding, without outer adornment.
- Morocco leather: Goatskin from Morocco. It is the most valuable, thick and resistant of all leathers.
- Joint (mors): the border between the spine and the covers.
- Raised bands (nerfs): useful for the gathering of signatures, they jut out from the spine. Some bindings result in smooth or false raised band spines.
- End leaf (Page de garde): See End leaf.
- Parchment: Skin of a lamb or donkey, lime-treated, with a white and translucent aspect, sometimes slightly resembling marble.
- Bottom of the page (Pied): See Tail edge
- Plaque: Decoration engraved on metal pressed in one blow on a binding cover.
- Boards (front and back) (Plats): both side portions (upper and lower) of a binding.
- Pleine reliure: Covering in only one material, the work being entirely covered in leather, cloth or otherwise.
- Queue: lower part of a book (pied)
- Reliure à coins: half-bound book, the ends of which are generally covered with the same material as the spine.
- Top edge (Tête): upper part of the book.
- Toile: Cloth used for binding purposes since the romantic period.
- Tranches: (Edges): the three edges of a book, other than the spine and the covers and made up of the thickness of pages. According to the different periods, same were mottled, gold or silver plated, chiseled, painted, marble-like, speckled, reddish or yellowish.
- Truie (skin of): skin of a sow used mainly in the XVI century and in general cold-printed.
- Calf-skin (veau): Long ago, the most used leather, having a rich range of shades.
- Vélin: A good-quality skin of calves or lambs, treated as the parchment, but more thin and white.
BOOKS AS OBJECTS
The book is only one of the components of the plastics art creation. They came out in 1950.
BOOKS BRISTLING WITH IMAGES (TRUFFE)
These books include documents such as: portraits, original drawings, engraving intermediate states, letters, prayers to insert, etc... For example, the original edition of Hernani including a letter written by Victor Hugo.
BOOKSELLER
In the beginning, the printer was also the publisher and bookseller. Nowadays, this term refers exclusively to the person selling books.
BOOKSELLER’S CATALOGUE
As a result of a long-standing tradition in the bookselling business, it represents nowadays a privileged way of communication between booksellers and customers. The catalogue offers the most precise information about the selected works; therefore, it represents the best guarantee for buyers. Ordinarily, it is impatiently expected and read by its addresses and triggers off the immediate reaction of those who want to buy a significant work. It may contain interesting biographical data or the latest news.
BROCHURE
Printed matter consisting of a limited number of pages, not ever bound.
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CALENDARS AND ROYAL CALENDARS
Source of information and useful data for everyday life (detailed calendar, meteorology, astrology...). The most widely known of popular books. It is worth mentioning, among them, the Royal Calendars which recorded all the administrative information of the kingdom. Often finely bound.
CARTON
A sheet reprinted in the course of a pressrun to replace a defective or censured signature. A copy may be hard-back or not (Also: avant les cartons)
COLLATION
A description of the material aspects of a book including the number of pages. This enables to verify the order and completeness of a volume.
COLOPHON
From Greek kolophôn, it stands for "end, termination". It is a printed or handwritten note, at the end of a book, which describes the material features of the edition. In old books, before the title page, it gathers the information about the edition: author, title, printer, date. In modern books it reads: "Printed in....".
COLOR
This process takes place after the printing on each sheet with water color. It should be distinguished from color engraving (chromium) which is a result of a printing process.
CURIOSA
One of the subject-matters dealt with by old books. It refers to books containing pornographic and licentious or dissolute literature. Ordinarily, the authors were anonymous or used pen names. Editors and edition years are also fictitious. There have always been writers and artists who made their contribution to this kind of works.
D
DEDICATION
Homage paid by a writer to a person: either by means of a printed text prefixed to the volume (Molière, for example, inscribed his comedies in testimony of respect to the King) or by a handwritten note. In the former case, the dedication to .... is inscribed on the book whereas in the latter case, the book is hand autographed for the person who receives it. See also: Consignment.
E
EDITION
The full number of copies printed. Sometimes, in order to make people believe that the edition has been a great success, editors insert fictitious information into the first edition (Second, third, etc., edition). For example, Victor Hugo’s Notre-Dame de Paris. See: Original edition.
ENDPAPER
Generally white sheets of paper, sometimes decorated, placed or pasted to the inside front or back cover of a book to ensure the union between the cover (or binding) and the body of the book. In cases of de luxe copies the binder may use special or luxurious materials (for example, leather, cloth, etc.) for endpapers.
ENGRAVING
Printing obtained by applying any method (wood, copper, stone, steel, linoleum...). A single engraving (monotype) or a limited set of printed copies. You should apply to a member of the National Trade Union of Old and Modern Bookshops if you want to buy an engraving. See also: Original engraving, Lithograph, Etching.
ENVOI
Author’s hand-written dedication. It is highly appraised and increases the price of the work. See also: exdorso.
ETCHING
Design produced by etching. The artist draws a picture using a burin on a copper plate coated with varnish. The copper plate is then exposed to the corrosive action of an acid (etching bath) which penetrates copper at the place where the varnish has been cut by the burin. The copper, bare of its varnish coat, is charged with ink. The ink lodged in the furrows on the plate is impressed on paper by means of a strong pressure (etching press or presse à taille-douce as opposed to typographic press). See also: taille-douce.
EX DONO
Hand-written inscription on a book for offering purposes. As opposed to envoi, it is not necessarily hand-written by the author.
EX LIBRIS
Literally, "out of the books (of)" to indicate the owner. It may be a hand-written inscription, on a simple rectangular piece of paper, a label printed or engraved with initials, a symbol, arms, a name. In general, it is placed on the back board of a book. Several artists have engraved ex libris. Gavarni designed those of Goncourt by depicting two fingers stretching out on a sheet of paper with the E and J (joined as fingers). Collection of ex libris is common among booklovers.
F
FASCICLES IN INSTALLMENTS
Part of a work which is being published during the course of time. When publication is completed, the aggregate of fascicles may be bound together. This was common practice in the XIX century.
FILLET (BANDEAU)
Decorative ornamentation on the edge of a page.
FIRST EDITION
The first edition in order of appearance. It is not necessarily the original edition if it was not published under the control of its author. See: Original edition. In case of a translated text, it shall be referred to as the first French edition.
FORGED TITLE
Summary of the printed title on the signature before the title. This originated in the XVII century.
FORGERY (CONTREFAÇON)
Pirate edition of a book without the knowledge of the author or publisher.
FRONTISPIECE- TITLE PAGE
An engraved or printed composition; in general, before the title.
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GRANDS PAPIERS
Publishers have always wanted to distinguish de luxe copies: in the beginning, by publishing large-size books, thus giving rise to the expression Grands papiers. Also by means of restricted and numbered copies printed on precious materials (velin, Holland paper for old books, China paper, Japan paper and again Holland paper). These grands papiers (important copies) are also called "initial copies". These are much sought-after because of their limited number.
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HORS-TEXTE
Printed illustration, out of the text and then added by the binder. It may also have a legend. In case it is printed together with the text, it is deemed to be in texte.
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ILLUMINATION
Handmade illustration or decoration of manuscripts or some precious printed matter. The term miniature is also used and nowadays, it is also referred to as "paintwork".
INCUNABULUM
From cradle. A book which backdates to the earliest days of printing and was first published before the end of 1500.
INICIAL COPIES
See: Grands-papiers
ISSUE
Set of copies of an edition of a book characterized by the time it is put up for sale. Several items help to distinguish same: title-page, covers, fictitious mentions of the edition, etc. For example, Les Chants de Maldoror was published in 1869 (first issue) and, upon being sold at a loss, was again put up for sale (second issue) in 1874.
J
JUSTIFICATION
Width of typographic impression.
L
LIBEL
A defamatory, short and polemical writing.
LITOGRAPH
Improved in the early years of the XIX century. The material used for printing is limestone on which the artist makes his design with pencil or in bold. The stone and paper are then placed on the press. See also: Engraving.
M
MANUSCRIPT
Handwritten text. In case it is handwritten by its author it is referred to as an "autograph manuscript". It may also be illuminated. See also: Autograph and Illumination.
MARGINAL NOTE
See: Illumination.
MINUTE BOOK
Small-size books which, in principle, are no more than 70 mm high.
MISCELLANEA
Gathering of sundry printed material, from Latin miscellanea, assorted items (Historical Robert Dictionary).
MODERN BOOKS
Printed after the end of the XIX century.
O
OLD BOOKS
Printed before 1800.
OLD BOOKSHOPS
PThis term was first used in 1804 to differentiate old bookshops from modern-new ones. Old bookshops sold books printed before 1801 and secondhand books whereas new bookshops sold recently published books. Paris had a lot more old bookshops than modern ones. Nowadays the reverse is true..
OLD AND MODERN BOOKSHOPS
Devoted to old books and documents from yesterday to this date and to recently out-of-print books, as opposed to bookshops in general which deal with new books available from the publishers.
ORIGINAL EDITION
First publication of a work in bookshops. In general, under the control or with the consent of its author (save for posthumous publications). This kind of edition is much sought-after. See also: first edition. In case of previous publication in a magazine, mention is made to a "pre-original edition".
ORIGINAL ENGRAVING
The material used (copper, steel, zinc, stone, wood) must have been designed and printed by hand by the artist. The number of proofs is usually indicated. When same form an integral part of a book, the type area is at the back. These copies are generally printed by highly skilled craftsmen after the final proof authorized by the artist. See also Engraving and Taille douce.
P
PAINTERS’ BOOKSe
Authors and painters are gathered in these books. This term refers to illustrated books containing original engravings of great artists such as Delacroix, Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Bonnard, Ernst, Dalí, Picasso, Derain... The restricted copies of these books are printed on drawing paper. Nowadays there is a tendency to refer to the "artist’s book " in cases of books totally designed and made by the painter. The debate is still open.
PAPER
The quality of the paper is of the essence for typography and engraving. This is why it is so important to booklovers. Once threads are removed from raw materials (pieces of rags) they are macerated and reduced to paste by the mallets of the mill.
- China paper is obtained from bamboo bark. It is soft-gray and extremely thin. It is considered to be the best paper for all shades of engraving.
- Holland paper was in principle a verge paper, of excellent quality and manufactured in Holland. The Holland velin paper appeared in the XX century.
- The Japan paper is manufactured from mulberries or other Japanese vegetables. There are three qualities thereof (antique, imperial and pearly Japan) with different shades.
- Madagascar paper is manufactured from vegetables cultivated on the island. It resembles the Japan paper but less expensive.
- Verge paper: the name stands for the marks (vergeures) on filigree at the time of manufacturing.
- elin paper: created by Baskerville in 1750. This smooth paper, with no mark on it, is the reason for best copies and engravings.
- Arches, Lafuma, Rives, Montval and Auvergne: good-quality papers are named after the paper manufacturing mills.
PAPER-BACKED BOOKS
The signatures are gathered and almost always covered with a simple paper protection.
PHOTOGRAPH
Photographs have evolved in different manners. In the beginning, the original photograph was stuck on the book for illustration purposes even before 1850 (for example, Ègypte, Nubie, Palestine et Syrie of Camp et Flaubert, in 1852). Photographs then underwent different processes (in particular helioengraving and phototipy). After having been taken into account by surrealistic artists, it became an important element of modern bibliophily.
PLATES
Illustrations out of the text, regardless of the printing technique.
PLAQUETTE
A book having few pages.
PRE-ORIGINAL EDITION
Unofficial edition of a text which came out before the original edition prepared by its author. Usually published in Belgium in the XIX century on the basis of texts or serials published on newspapers or magazines.
PRINTED COPIES (TIRAGE)
In regard to engraving, this term refers to a specific number of copies obtained by using the same matrixes.
As regards books, this term covers the number of copies of a work printed on a single occasion. As from the second half of the XIX century, bibliophiles have given rise to limited and numbered editions on one or more beautiful papers. See also: Type area, suite.
PROOFS –CORRECTION
The first version of a printed text delivered to the author or publisher for correction. Proofs full of corrections made by Balzac or Proust, for example, may be deemed to be manuscripts.
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REBINDING (REMBOÎTAGE)a
The process of placing a book on a binding other than the original one.
RESTRICTED NUMBER OF COPIES
This is a separate printing, restricted in number, of a text published in a magazine or collection. Sometimes, the real original edition (pre-original) of a text.
OMANTIC BOOKS
Printed between 1810/1820 and 1860/1880.
ROUSSEURS
Dark or sepia spots on paper. These are rarely found on volumes printed before the end of the XVIII century but are frequent on romantic books. Spots originate in humidity and paper quality and cause the work to decrease in value. Some experts may also "wash" books.
RUBRIC (RUBRICATED COPY) (RUBRIQUE)
Colored raising of some letters in pen or by using a brush. Generally in the first printed books (incunabula and books printed in the XVI century).
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SIGNATURE
A large sheet which, when folded to page size for binding together, forms a book with other such sheets. See "Size".
SIGNATURE CODE
Distinguishing mark printed on the bottom of some sheets of paper in order to facilitate an orderly gathering of sets of printed sheets. In general, one or several letters followed by numbers.
SIGNING
Reference to the book publishing place and date, as well as information about the publisher. Generally on the title page.
SIZE
A book is generally rectangular in size in terms of its height or also in terms of width (Italian size). The size of a books is seldom stated in centimeters but in accordance with the folding of the sheet delivered by the paper manufacturer to the printer. The large unfold sheet on which two pages may be printed shall be called in plano. A twofold sheet (four pages) shall be referred to as an in folio (roughly 50 cm), a fourfold sheet (eight pages) shall be called in quarto (in-4) (approximately 30 cm), an eightfold one (sixteen pages) will result in the so called in octavo (in-8) (less than 25 cm). Mention should also be made to the in douze (in-12), in seize (in-16), in vingt- quatre (in-24), in trente-deux (in-32). The size of the sheets has changed throughout the years and according to the different places, in line with the industrialization of paper manufacture.
STATE
A version of the same edition or the same sheet (for engravings) which may differ from another version due to insignificant additions or suppressions.
STENCIL
To hand ornament with colors. Colors are passed through perforations on cardboard, zinc, copper or aluminum, cut up in accordance with the outlines of the chosen color. Colors are applied, either one after the other or one upon the other, with a paint brush or with the aid of a brush.
SUITE
A series of engravings commonly by one artist. At present, a series of engravings included in a book, resulting from various proofs, in different states and on paper other than that of the book.
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TAILLE-DOUCE
This term comprises all techniques for copperplate engraving: etching, drypoint, burin. See also Engraving.
TYPE AREA
It started in the XVIII century. At the front or back of a book, the publisher indicates the various kinds of copies published and paper used.
TITLE (TITRE)
Title is usually understood to be the page which describes the material aspects required to identify the work: author, title, illustrator, publisher, publishing place and date, etc. It is often behind a forged title page which sets out the simplified title.
Titre de relai: in order to sell unsold works the title is replaced by a new title page referred to as the titre de relai. See Issue.
TITRE COURANT
Also called abridged version of the title, it is affixed to the upper edge of each page.
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VIGNETTE
An unenclosed engraved or lithographed portrait placed at the end of a chapter.
VIGNETTE
In the beginning it was a decorative vinelike design on printed texts. Then it became a small-size engraving on metal or wood to decorate a text, to be used on stripes, on cul de lampe (vignette) or on an in-texte. See also: Engraving.
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WATERMARK
This is the design impressed on paper during manufacture and visible when the paper is held to the light. This is the manufacturer’s mark.
WELL-ORDERED COPIES
The text is hand-framed by means of a pen, in red ink so as to highlight the harmonious arrangement of the page typography, evidencing the particular care with which the book was handled.