In short, virtually all the elements of 20th-century book jackets were present from relatively early on in their development, albeit without consistency or standardization. By the 1910s, publishers had clearly shifted their design attention from a book’s binding to the graphic possibilities of its dust jacket. A hundred years ago, a volume’s cover might still be stamped with a striking image or gorgeous decorations. Today, underneath the flashy jackets of 21st-century books, one generally finds only colored pieces of cardboard.
As Tanselle stresses, one can draw conclusions about publishing history and practice only when one possesses hard, physical evidence, and the more of it the better. He laments the loss of 19th-century dust jackets largely because without them, one is deprived of important bibliographical information. A flap might say “Fifth printing” or provide a picture and short biography of an otherwise little-known author. Blurbs, then as now, are both items in their authors’ bibliographies — Thomas Pynchon fans collect certain books just for his back-cover endorsements — and clues to the literary networking of the day.
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Michael Dirda is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post Book World and the author of the memoir “An Open Book” and of four collections of essays: “Readings,” “Bound to Please,” “Book by Book” and “Classics for Pleasure.”
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(Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia) - “Book-jackets: Their History, Forms, and Use” by G. Thomas Tanselle
In more modern books, the key issue is one of authenticity: Is the book wearing its proper jacket, or has it been dressed in borrowed finery? Dealers and collectors sometimes upgrade a less than perfect copy by removing a tattered dj and replacing it with a better one. Such sophistication, as it is called, short-circuits the historical evidence. The book is no longer as it was when issued by the publisher. It has been corrupted.
“Book-Jackets” is a superb work of scholarly investigation, broad enough to touch on the development of blurbs, the artists involved in early cover design and the need for accurate description of dust jackets in library catalogues. Still, I wish Tanselle had addressed more fully the matter of mylar protectors, widely used to guard fragile djs from being torn or stained. From the cover photograph of his own collection, some, but not all, of Tanselle’s books show jackets enclosed in mylar (not glassine, cellophane or plastic, which can degrade and harm the dj). Purists feel that this see-through armor takes away a certain aesthetic connection with the book; others are grateful for the security that protectors offer.
But, as I say, jackets are vexing. Should you read books with their jackets on or off? (I take them off.) Is there any good reason to acquire a facsimile dj? (Tanselle says there isn’t.) Should old djs ever be brightened up by a restorer? (No. Modest conservation is another matter.) Should research libraries stop removing jackets from their open-shelf books? (Yes, says Tanselle, or at least they should be catalogued and preserved.) Should I just stop worrying about things like this and buy an e-book reader? Hmm. I suppose I could, but what would be the fun in that?
Dirda reviews each Thursday in Style and conducts a book discussion for The Washington Post at wapo.st/
reading-room. His latest book, “On Conan Doyle,” was recently published.
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