New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-02-01
BOOK COVERS.

There is q practice among publishers
which, at first blush, seems an insult
offered to good literature. When sending out
n traveller to make sales to booksellers of some
forthcoming book, they will frequently pro-
vide him not with copy of the book itself,
but with dummy made up of blank paper,
trinity clad in the cloth case which is finally to
hold the book, duly stamped and lettered in
black and gold, black alone or gold alone, or
simply stamped in blind. By this sample he
is to recommend the book to the dealer, and
on this to take his orders. 1t is better to find
the rationale Of this custom than to denounce
it as slight put upon literature. The cover
sells the book to the dealer, because the dealer
himself sells the book to his customer in turn
very largely by means of its outside dress.
Many a book which has dOgSedly refused to
move from tho booksellers shelf, has refused
in the most lively manner to stay there, when
newly set out in some jaunty fashion of book
binding. The book agent too, lets his victim
feast his eyes on the FOOLS gold that displays
itself upon the bread cXpanse of the subscrip-
ton book, knowing the charm that lies in it.
1t is not to be expected that the bOOkbnd-
ers and the public will ever keep very far
apart in their taste, but it is nevertheless pos
sible to bind books in accordance with sound
taste, and 10 catch the public eye also. More
over it only needs little courage on the part
of publisher to make him a Ieformer in good
taste, in modest way, and there will always
be q long suffering minority who will hal
with rejoicing any recognition or their very
reserved rights. The first consideration and
the last is that every book should have a
cover which bears some relation to the con-
tents of the book. A cook book and thcO-
logical treatise ought not to make the same
appeal to the eye. No one who stops to think
would deny this proposition. But there are
more subtle distinctions which are constantly
overlooked. A book in pure literature should
not be mistaken for book in science, yet
any prevailing fashion, as for instance that of
gold lettering and black arabesque printing
will probably display itself in both eases,
without discrimination.
To begin at the bottom. the board used in
cloth covers should be graded in its thickness
according to the weight OF the book which it
has to sustain it is a piece of deception and
of vulgarity to put heavy boards with beyeled
edges upon thin books. 1t is done TO make
them look more substantial and so warrant a
higher price The cloth again is likely to run
upon some fancy pattern or color, which is
merely novel and not in itself good. The
pattern and color should be determined by
two considerations, the nature of the book
and the character of the decoration to be used
on this ground. A dark brown is suited to
historical works, and in general to books of
dignity blue might fairly be used for romance
and poetry, but unfortunately blue is not in
favor, because it is said to fade; this may be
true of the lighter shades, but we have seen
smooth blue cloth bound books that look as
delightful to the eye now as they did years
ago. Red, especially in its deeper tones,
suits scientific and military books and
books relating to the mechanic arts.
Black the human mind instinCtiyely refers to
theology, and it is curious to see how the
books, which of late years have undertaken to
make theology popular, have invariably
dressed themselves in the moro sociable brown