I like to take a chance on new authors and hardback first editions. The dominant art deco design trends of the early years are evident. Publishers dont bother with jackets for those books. This detachable piece of paper is called the dust jacket. Dust jackets clearly dont actually protect a book from dust, and a quick skim of the wikipedia page for dust jackets shows that they never did. The modernstyle dust jacket was first introduced in the 1830salthough possibly earlier evidence is inconclusive. The section, title, and author appear at the head of the spine, and a stencillike serial number at the foot guide 31. Using profold plus to cover a hardback book with no dust jacket. These dust jackets could remain on the book when it was opened, providing protection for volumes even as they were read. Dust jackets from the 1920s and later were often decorated in art deco styles. Collection of book jackets nypl digital collections. Unlike paperback covers, which are trimmed simultaneously with the book block, dust jackets are trimmed prior to wrapping on the book.
When you pick up a book, the first thing that greets you is the cover. A full page colour photograph of book dealer tom congaltons shelf of 19th century books with dustjackets raises goose bumps. The dust jacket sometimes book jacket, dust wrapper or dust cover of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. A rendered facsimile dust jacket for the first edition book of babbit. Designed a dust jacket for the book to kill a mockingbird by harper lee. The book was published in 1922 by harcourt, brace and company. As most collectors are aware, a dust jacket in fine condition can greatly enhance the value of a book. Book history is the official publication of the society for the history of authorship, reading and publishing. Indeed, for modern first editions, a book without the dust jacket will sell for only a fraction of the price. A brief history of the dust jacket books tell you why, inc. In his latest collection, the illustrated dust jacket. The illustrated dust jacket celebrates the history of the.
We proudly offer six different styles of covers, including center slit book jacket covers, multifit book jacket covers, open edge book jacket covers, polyjac book jacket covers, processor book jacket covers and profit book jacket covers. Early dust jackets dust jackets first came into use in the 1800s. Early dust jackets were not even regarded as part of the book, but rather something to be thrown away. The first dust jackets, known as wrappers, were not usually prized or conserved by their owners. So heres how i created my diy dust jackets and made my bookshelf look 100x better. For those who do, it will be nothing less than a thrill. It was established in 1998 and is published annually by the johns hopkins university press.
Im a big fan of book design, so, if the designer has a really compelling, visually engaging vision for the dust jacket, i can kind of get onboard with that. I also tend to take the dust jacket off of novels more than nonfiction. Given the need for transportation of the books from the printing firms to bookstores, publishers had to protect these delicate covers with book jackets. If you want the entire dust jacket of your book to be covered in coloured paper, you may have to buy some bigger sheets. Nineteenthcentury dustjackets is a comprehensive general history of publishers dust jackets during the first century of their use.
Dust jacket covers custom book dust jacket printing. The persuasive art of the dust jacket books the guardian. What exactly is the value of dust jackets on kids books. Dustjacket is an educationbased used bookstore and community space located in the heart of downtown halifax. Most booksellers do not buy a book if its dust jacket is missing unless it is a rare book. This jacket will also fit subsequent early printings if you have one. Jul 26, 20 dust jackets clearly dont actually protect a book from dust, and a quick skim of the wikipedia page for dust jackets shows that they never did. The washington post vivid, gorgeous art graced books in the mid20th century, and martin salisbury has collected the most stunning examples in the illustrated dust jacket, 19201970. Tls is the leading manufacturer in highquality book jacket covers. A brief history of the dust jacket book collecting guide. Spines of books, from the collection of martin salisbury. As the beautiful book comes back into vogue, martin salisbury delves into the history of the illustrated book jacket, tracing its development across the 20th century through some of the most iconic, as well as many too long forgotten, designs of the era. A colorful history of judging books by their covers the. They also covered the entire book like a package and were sealed with wax.
The middle of the twentieth century marked a high point for the medium. Originally, they were intended to protect the beautiful binding, and were often just a rectangle of paper used to wrap the book like a parcel. Existing solely for the simple utility they provided, and not considered an actual part of the books. Great deals on history books with dust jacket 18001899 publication year. Bleeds, however, perform a similar function on both. In the images below, the style numbering follows seymour guide 19. Beyond the familiar distinction between hardcovers and paperbacks, there are further alternatives and additions, such as dust jackets, ringbinding, and older forms such as the nineteenthcentury paperboards and the traditional types of handbinding. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book covers. As others have mentioned, i, too, take the dust jacket off while im reading a book and put it back on when im finished. If the book was originally issued with a jacket but it is now missing, it may or may not affect value. Go back a hundred years in the history of the book, and dust jackets were treated with the same care and solicitude that consumers currently apply to candy wrappers. A missing dust jacket will reduce the value of a collectible book by 7590%.
Scholarly books can receive heavy use by graduate students and researchers and the dust jackets get torn very quickly. Dustjacket books and treasures, halifax, nova scotia. Ive started this post several times before, but ive always found myself paralyzed with the fear that this minirant would turn into a. History hardcover books with dust jacket for sale in stock. Despite the fact that dust jackets often include useful information about a book and its author, including biographical notes and often a portrait, it has long been research libraries practice to remove the jackets from new books during processing for their permanent place in the stacks. Often the cover consists of a detachable piece of paper wrapped around the front and back using folded flaps.
The only reasons i can really see for the existence of dust jackets on kids books are aesthetic reasons. What do you do with the dust jacket from a hardcover book. A history of the dust jacket as the previous post hints, choosing a design for a book jacket is an intense and important process. And now, id like to take a brief moment to talk about dust jackets and, specifically, the role of dust jackets on childrens books. If an image is supposed to visually run off the edge of the dust jacket.
Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Think of it like wrapping paper on a christmas gift. Follow this simple process to protect and maintain your books without breaking the bank buying professional book. In addition to providing protection to the cover of your book, our dust jackets include two 3. From the earliest known jacket issued in 1819, the author surveys the entire field of british, american and european jackets and documents a part of publishing history that was nearly lost to the nineteenth. The very first dust jackets or dust wrappers appeared in 1832 with the sole purpose of protecting books during transport between the printer and the bookstore. History books with dust jacket 18001899 publication year. A book cover is any protective covering used to bind together the pages of a book. A brief history of the dust jacket advantage book binding. For those who never paused to think much about jackets, this book will be a revelation. A dust jacket, propped up and partially unfolded for illustration.
These early versions were simple functional dust jackets, which paid scarce attentions to the advertisement about the contents of the books. The dust jacket for the buckram library binding had no decorations on either front or back, and no advertisements. Mar 03, 2016 designed a dust jacket for the book to kill a mockingbird by harper lee. Feb 22, 2018 in his latest collection, the illustrated dust jacket.
No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Dec 18, 2017 the first dust jackets, known as wrappers, were not usually prized or conserved by their owners. Mar 01, 2018 they also covered the entire book like a package and were sealed with wax. My goal is to scan and archive images of as many vintage dust jackets as i can. Dust jacket definition of dust jacket by merriamwebster.
If its a thick book, i usually take the dust jacket off until im finished reading, then put it back on for storage. A selection of dust jackets for each artist reveals how far the book as an artefact had travelled from the days of the plain wrapper in the nineteenth century. By the mid19th century, dust jackets had taken on a greater purpose and longevity. This space can be used for any number of things, such as a book summary or an about the author section. I protect the dust jackets with a clear archival cover to keep them pristine or in the case of a used book, to keep them from deteriorating.
Jul 12, 2018 book dust jackets are essential to ensuring a book s longevity. All of that changed, however, once publishers realized the marketing potential afforded by dust jackets. Jan 22, 2020 facsimile dust jackets llc is the sole funding for mark terrys dust jacket archive project. How did dust jackets dust wrappers, book jackets, cover jackets and dust covers develop and how long have they been used. Facsimile dust jackets llc is the sole funding for mark terrys dust jacket archive project. Apr 08, 2008 covering hardback books without dust jackets. Dust jacket definition is a paper cover for a book. As on all our book jackets, there will be an attached signed label on the verso of the read more.
I protect the dust jackets with a clear archival cover to keep them pristine or in the case of. History hardcover books with dust jacket for sale in. Book dust jackets are essential to ensuring a books longevity. Great deals on history hardcover books with dust jacket. Jan 09, 2017 i was fine with the remainder of the dust jacket being white.
Existing solely for the simple utility they provided, and not considered an actual part of the books they protected, they usually ended their lives in the. This is just a process video, and definitely not a tutorial by any means, as i would not recommend you do things like this. Dust jackets from phantom bookshop browse recent arrivals. Before the 1820s, most books were published as unbound sellers. Often the back panel or flaps are printed with biographical information about the author, a.
A full page colour photograph of book dealer tom congaltons shelf of 19th century books with dust jackets raises goose bumps. Juniper books harry potter hogwarts express custom dust jackets only books not included for your sevenvolume hardcover book set 5. Feb 06, 2017 i love dust jacketsto me they are a piece of art. I have a complicated relationship to the dust jacket. Everymans library volumes were issued with dust jackets, from the drab, purely functional early wrappers with their advertisements of other everyman volumes and dent series, to the ultimate incorporation of pictorial covers designed to help sell the book as well as protect it. If its a relatively thin book, ill use the dust cover flaps as a bookmark. The jackets in the collection are from books published in the united states and europe during two turbulent decades. I feel these dust jackets are an important part of our culture.
The dust jackets themselves were worthless and the plain paper was discarded when the books were unwrapped for display in bookstores. In my youth, i admired the private libraries of writers and professors. This is just a process video, and definitely not a tutorial by any means. Often the back panel or flaps are printed with biographical information about. Covering hardback books without dust jackets youtube. The 1850s saw some of the first dust jackets that left the book block exposed, so the book could be used with the dust jacket on. That means when you remove the jacket from the typical runofthemill book, you have reduced its value to zero. T he keepsake, published by longmans of london in 1832 was covered by the earliest known printed dust jacket. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Absent in the final dust jacket is the bleed, which is removed in the final trimming. Nineteenthcentury dust jackets is a comprehensive general history of publishers dust jackets during the first century of their use. Up to the last decade of the nineteenth century most of the jackets used typographical designs in buffcolored, with no illustration other than a. The earliest ones existed quite literally to keep dust off cloth bindings. Fortunately, the english bibliophile john carter photographed it, before being lost during transit to oxfords bodleian library in 1952.