Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-05
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

While an excellent case may be made
out for the uniform binding of the books
in home library, If one has the money
to indulge in it, there is little question
that one of the most interesting fea-
lures of books is their very difference
in binding.
Therefore. even wealthy man might
hesitate before ripping off the covers in
which publishers saw fit to bind their
works, to put them in uniform dress, no
matter how splendid or beautiful a
leather he might put upon them.
Books are both books and things, as
we have tried to say in this column
many times. Their merits as books is
and must remain the chief considera-
ton, but it is not all by any means.
A book is individual. too! that is. it is
a thing, something different from all
others of its type. Just as there are no
two human beings exactly alike, SO there
are few books which correspond exactly
in physical appearance. unless it is set
of some sort, of which we will speak
later.
Specifically the books on shelf may
look alike, since they are all about the
same size, in the main, but upon closer
examination they will be found to differ
enormously.
This difference is not merely matter
of thickness and thinness. although that
has something to do with it. but even
more a question Of color and color
combinations.
Beyond these considerations is the
happy result of all these, the "feel" of
a book as a book, of book as thing,
its character, as it were, which distin-
cuisines it from al other books.
X X X x
Let us consider this last matter first.
If books did not somehow build them
selves into the very fabric of home life.
II they did not really form a back
ground, silent but visible, to such cul-
ture as the home contains, there is
little reason to believe that they would
ever have secured for themselves the
place which is undoubtedly theirs.
From the earliest days of civiliza-
ton, however, mankind has recognized
the supreme cultural influence of a
surrounding company of books. Thou
sands of years ago gSat cities had
their great libraries and a certain privi-
legged few of the aristocracy their home
collections of rolls.
Sacred establishments, citadels of
learning, during hundreds of years
hCpt VAIN b41C ul1ltGlOdl Dwell VI SWOIu
domination with a bulwark of great
tones, handmade against the sound
and fury without.
Yet the very conquests Of arms have
been, in a sense, for the upbuilding of
libraries, for with advancing frontiers
went such culture as the warriors had.
In America the happy result was the
schoolhouse on every hill, universal
education, which is just another way
of saying universal and widespread
books.
Today every home which has a book
collection, no matter how small-and
one might add no matter how large
has cultural influence invisibly dis
seminating good upon the occupants.
Even if the books are never opened,
they are there.
In this happy result the different
bindings of the various books play their
part. 1t is impossible to hold book in
memory without mentally seeing" its
cover, its color, the texture OF the
cloth, or the feel" of its leather. These
things are part and parcel of the book,
of the very text itself.
So important is the dress OF the book
to the content that publishers have
spent great deal of time and money
in giving to each volume its due cover
ing. often author and publisher con-
fer at length upon the matter. 1t is