New-York tribune., 1903-02-18
TITLE PAGES.
II Useful Treatise By a Master
Printer.

THE PRACTICE OF TYPOGRAPHY. A Treatise
on Title Pages, with Numerous illustrations - 10 .
Facsimile and Some Observations on tns TsnSrs hSor
and Recent Printing OF Books BY lheo9TIe Tl :
Low De Winnie. A. N l2mo PIP xn' 4Ss Inc
Century Company
Dividing his discussion into three parts III
which he sets forth the history OF styles in
title pages, gives practical advice to the COM
positor and author, and estimates the tendencies
Of the present day, Mr.. De Winnie presents d
treatise on a restricted but important depart
rnent of booknaking which should attract ana
instruct any lover of books and be OF service
70 the craftsman. The practical side OF the
hook has been added to the treatise originally
written for the Grolier Club. and publsneo tor
its members in February, 1901 The Voiufne
is literally provided with facsimile reproouc-
tions of the title pages referred to in the text
dating from the middle of the fifteenth century
10 within the last ten years
The simple Roman face Of type has steadily
overcome other styles. Except in Germany, anu
in the revivals by certain printers. the Gothlc
letter has not justified itself by enduring
The s15rarior beauty and greater usefulness
OF properly made Roman types shouId De Dc
evident as any axiom in geometry, YET thelr
merits often have TO be explained py ar n',i
end enforced by comparative illustrations Ihls
IS not always an easy task AT the crude taste
of the amateur who prefers Tor hloueln anu
serious book the intricate and mysterl4us @ leL-
.er;ng OF early copyists Of black letter, the ia~-
less forms of unframed draughtsmen, or the
elaborately adorned letters of a ithographic
showbill. one may be tempted TO foid ms hahos
a. dssnair Preferences like these are lndlca-
tions of the undeveloped taste whlch always
begins with hungering for eccentriclty or pro
fuse decoration, but after continued praCtice
or Indulgence IL usually ends with just appre-
cfation of the higher value OF slinphci'H- 10
the cultivated taste, simplicity may oe, anu
often is Of the highest beauty, put lhe appte-
cia+ion Of that simplicity is the last lesson
learned by the amateur
The author offers an appreciative and perhaps
700 favorable estimate of the work Of William
Morris though pointing out the diff1cult;es
1,-ought on by some OF his types Flgor In oe-
sign and superb presswork are credited TO
Morris while the ''travesties' OF his fmitators
are deplored- In the matter or title pages
Morris went back. except in the case OF his
engraved plates. which are not concern of
typography proper to the early device OF 'he
colophon. At the start printers did not obtrude
their personality upon the reader at all The
use Of date of printing and name of printer at
.he end Of book came IN a guarantee
against spurious and slovenly work. When the
ooIophon grew to the dignity of requiring
separate page If transferred to the front
of the book and associated with the title Wide
borders drawn on wood, proving too much for
the strength Of the presses when presenting
large amount of solid linked surface. were sue
ceeded by copper plate. For three centuries cop
per plate title pages supplanted wood IN every
r,,e+entious work The use of movable orna-
rnents was the resort Of printers who couid nell
tier afford a specially engraved page nor be
st ease with mere type. Rule, often too deli
cate 10 avoid bending and gaps, served the
same purpose The division OF the page by
rule into several sections is still to be seen
A novelty now in fashion authorizes the divi-
sion of the title page border in three or more
connected parts-the name at the top ana the
imprint at the bottom of the page IL Is q
fashion Of doubtful propriety. A series OF
,,7ated or connected rules, making three or more
panels. is more common In 5ooworK OF n az
standard books. Many rules ana many panels
interfere with the purpose of title: The title
page so treated shows the skill OF the com
s,ositor more than the expressed thought of the
author.
\ In arrangement A1dus preferred the dia-
.nonded title a form which quite went out Of
fashion before the year 1000. TO be revived by
Pickering IN the nineteenth century. The para
graph title. which was used in the sixteenth
century by Robert Stephens, Of Paris, was
mainly used through the century in the half
diamond form The squared title was revived
ir the time of Pickering. and tried in various
forms with medieval capitals and italics.
Among French printers the tendency has been
toward too great condensation More is put
on single line than is necessary for proper
display in an effort at compactness-
The plain title page. of Roman capitals only,
may be objected to for its want Of individuality
and its lack of boldness and blackness. This
objection. sure to follow the too free use OF
condensed type, light faced two-line letter, and
the uleagre Elzevir faces can be partly re-
moved by selecting capitals Of thicker stems.
but il viii never be corrected by selecting the
lIncouth letters now favored by advertisers.
These types viii go out Of fashion in a few
years. and viii then be repulsive as the
ornamental types of the last century
For many years typography has been attempt
ing unnecessary limitations of lthography or
copper plate. It is time that il should return
TO the practice of the feasible methods that
always have had the approval Of intelligent
readers. II has its own field In which 1t is
supreme if il can be content in that field in
which the early Italian printers won distinc-
ton. il need not fear the rivalry of any other
graphic art
The information in this book is useful and
varied and the authors ideas are marked by
common sense and good taste An interesting
feature at the close is a title page done IN ten
representative styles The index deserves CRATE