Sunday Morning Book Thread 7-19-2026 [Sabrina Chase]

Welcome to the Book Thread, Guest Poster edition! I will be your host as we explore all sorts of book-related topics. All usual Book Thread rules are incorporated by reference (pets, beverage, clothing covering the lower limbs, etc.) with the special Sabrina Chase exemption for those stylish persons preferring kilts. Now let us proceed to today's topic, which is ...

We are all about the contents of books here at the Book Thread, but a high-quality binding is the literary cherry on top. The photo above is one of the old books in my library, a first edition of the Hurst "Burnt Leather Classics" version of the works of Robert Burns, printed in 1904. (It took a bit of internet research to find out the date, as the fancy version had no published date inside.) Not only does it have gilt lettering on the cover, the edges of the pages are all gilt as well. In addition, the cover is soft leather, delicately embossed with daffodils, and slightly padded so it is very comfortable to hold. There used to be a silk bookmark ribbon bound in, but that fell to the ravages of time. A lot of thought clearly went into this design, to not only look good and to be functional but also elevate the book even more. (Apparently it was TOO fancy/expensive to produce, even for the luxury holiday gift market it was intended for, and in 1905 the standards were *koff* lowered and the gilt page edges and cover lettering vanished. But that made it possible for me to figure out my copy was one of the elite!)

Now sometimes the attempts to pretty-up a book went a little far, what with all the enamel and gems and whatnot. Who wants to curl up with a lumpy book that weighs 15 pounds? And won't play nice with the other books on the shelf?

Anyone have any pretty treasures to brag about?

posted by Open Blogger at 08:52 AM

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