[DCRM-L] Glossary

[Deborah J. Leslie]

It isn't true that plates can't be letterpress. Folded letterpress
leaves: the operative distinction is that they're folded, and therefore,
out of format. 
The problem with the DCRB definition is that many plates are not
primarily illustrative; and a primarily illustrative leaf not an
integral leaf in a gathering could be a singleton woodcut, which would
be counted as a leaf of "text." We most definitely do count singleton
leaves, as long as they're "in format," as leaves of text.
We were careful to define plates as those of a different format (either
going through a rolling press or clearly printed in a different format
than the main text block) because we have stated that books that are
wholly engraved are not to be considered having "leaves of plates," but
only "leaves." See 5B1.4.
So the upshot of all this is that I am unpersuaded by your argument that
there is a problem with the definition of plate. I welcome you to try
again. D.
__________________________________________
Deborah J. Leslie, M.A., M.L.S.
Chair, RBMS Bibliographic Standards Committee
http://www.folger.edu/bsc/index.html
Head of Cataloging, Folger Shakespeare Library
201 East Capitol St., S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003
djleslie at folger.edu || 202.675-0369 || http://www.folger.edu   

-----Original Message-----
From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On
Behalf Of David Woodruff
Sent: 18 September 2006 14:46
To: dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu
Subject: [DCRM-L] Glossary

p. 191, Plate. A leaf that is chiefly or entirely non-letterpress, or a
folded leaf of any kind, inserted with letterpress gatherings of text. -
The broad definition in the Glossary of Letterpress as relief printing
causes a problem here: if plates can't be letterpress, woodcuts can't be
plates. The printing technique of the plate shouldn't matter for the
purposes of definition. It may be different from that of the text, or
the same (e.g. lithographic plates with lithographic text). I don't see
any alternative to some version of the DCRB definition, qualified to
allow for engraved titles, etc., and tables. That definition reads: A
primarily illustrative leaf that is not an integral part of a gathering.
This could  be followed by the second sentence in the present
definition: A plate usually contains illustrative matter, with or
without accompanying text, but may contain only text (e.g., an engraved
title page or a folded letterpress table).
Also a question about "a folded leaf of any kind" * would such a leaf
still be a plate if printed with normal letterpress text, not in table
form?