Old books with coloured or gilded edges

Discussion in 'General Science & Technology' started by water, Feb 20, 2005.

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  1. water the sea Registered Senior Member

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    Old books with coloured or gilded edges


    How come that old books had their edges coloured (usually red, dark blue) or gilded?

    Also, all three edges are not always coloured: only the top or the side edge, while the lower edge isn't. How come?
     
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  3. Ophiolite Valued Senior Member

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    They look nicer. The top edge is seen when the book is on a shelf. The side and top edge are readily seen when the book is in your hands. The lower edge is only seen easily if you deliberately choose to look at it.
     
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  5. vslayer Registered Senior Member

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    a second layer was added to reduce wear
     
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  7. Thersites Registered Senior Member

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    The ones to look for are "fore-edge paintings": these are gilt or marbled page edges which show hidden paintings when you riffle the pages.
     
  8. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Gilt
    (sometimes gilded): This term is usually used as part of a larger phrase. It basically means that gold leaf has been applied to a particular part of the book, so gilt edges means that the top, bottom, and fore-edge are covered with leaf. This is both a decorative and a protective treatment. The gilding keeps dust out of the pages of the book. Many books have gilt tops, that is the top edge only is gilt, as this is the part of the book most subject to the build up of dust.

    http://www.burkesbooks.com/anatomy.htm#EDGES
     
  9. water the sea Registered Senior Member

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    This seems reasonable -- but it's not like the edges are thicker, really.


    Dust, eh? I would have never thought of that!
     
  10. SkinWalker Archaeology / Anthropology Moderator

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    I think, too, that it would be reasonable to say that books of the 19th or early 20th centuries CE were of an era when books were the primary means of transmitting and storing knowledge, so they were held in higher regard. The settling of dust while shelved needed to be addressed and the gold leaf gilding looks nice. Attractive books have an air of authority, perhaps.

    These days, books are mass published in the millions and are hardly the only significant means of transmitting and storing information, so they get a different treatment by the publisher, though I still think there are some very well made books to be had.
     
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