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Fifteen
Principles Of The Nature Of Old Books
Bennett Gilbert [with his permission]
1.
Old books are part of the history of communication
and expression.
2.
As such they are an especially powerful, complex,
interesting, and beautiful part of the chain
of human thought, speech, and imagery starting
from cave paintings and rock art, the oldest
known works of art.
3.
Old books have a further constituent virtually
unique to them among antique objects: the text.
Each text has its own history and material and
is therefore a layer of meaning in the old book
against which all its other parts resonate.
4.
To understand an old book, we have to understand
the role of the author in addressing an audience,
writing a text, and publishing his or her work.
5.
We have to consider why the printer printed
it, why he printed it in his city or town, and
why he printed in the year of its publication.
6.
We must also consider the printer's audience:
who bought that book and read it and why they
did so.
7.
The entire chain of provenance of the book,
in so far as it may be determined, is part of
the unique interest of each copy of each book,
as expressed in ownership marks and study notes.
8.
The typographic design of old books is part
of the way in which they persuaded their readers.
It is from old books that we learn about typography
and book design and can see them as forms of
expression, as technological achievements, as
things of beauty, and as part of the history
of art and of design.
9.
Bindings help us to know the owners and to see
the book functioning as a means of communication
and expression. Bookbinding is a refined decorative
art, intimately related to the larger artistic
movements, that expresses the place of the books
in their eras.
10.
In addition, book illustrations are especially
potent forms of imagery because of the relations
of text and image. Book illustration is an important
part of the history of graphic art, both popular
and
refined. They enhance the psychological and
intellectual power of the book as well as its
visual appeal.
11.
These are the factors that give to every old
book its presence, like a personality or an
aura, and make it an image of the mind and of
the soul.
12.
Each old book expresses in its many aspects
the main, leading, and dominant forces, changes,
and themes of its day.
13.
There was nothing more powerful in influencing
those forces than the printed book. Neither
painting nor any other art or craft or medium
of public communication shaped history more.
14.
Each old book is a microcosm that preserves
physically, visually, textually, intellectually,
emotionally, and spiritually the macrocosm it
mirrors. Old books are profound physical vestiges
of an
intellectual, social, or personal event from
long ago.
15.
Because of all these features, old books are
among the most expressive and articulate of
collectible objects.
Five Reasons To Collect Old Books
1.
The printed book is no longer so much a tool
as an object--an aesthetic, psychological, moral,
intellectual, and philosophical object.
2.
Ownership of old books is worthwhile not only
for information but also for the visual, textual,
and iconic images with which they can fill our
imaginations and minds.
3.
The assembling of old books creates a synergy
among them. They resonate with one another and
stimulate the minds and imaginations of those
who own them, see them, or use them. Their conjunction
and association will lead us in new directions
of thought and historical understanding that
were not contemplated when they were bought.
4.
Connoisseurship is trained intuition: instinct
informed by experience and knowledge. Collecting
old books enhances connoisseurship & hence
leads to personal growth because understanding
them requires and develops this combination
of intuition and knowledge.
5.
The presence of old books, with all their many
meanings and moods, enriches our lives.
Five Guidelines For Collectors
1.
Think ahead of the pack. Let books guide you
into new areas of the historical imagination
or more deeply into old areas. Develop new ways
of looking at the events they represent. Don't
buy according to any list other than your own.
2.
Rely on a small group of dealers you trust.
Let them be your professional book-buyers. Dealers
know the many twists and turns of the paths
along which old books are to be found, and they
have a long-term interest in your satisfaction.
3.
Buy copies in original condition, whether that
be fresh or used, rather than cleaned and modernized
copies. Annotations, bindings, ownership marks,
and the other signs of human use give the book
a
presence beyond its physical dimensions.
4.
Look at the book as a complete object, in all
its aspects. You will make better choices if
you are aware of as many of the messages old
books send as possible.
5.
Develop your connoisseurship. Train your intuition
through study and hands-on experience. This
is the way in which book collecting will be
challenging, interesting, stimulating, fun,
satisfying, and
enriching.
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