[DCRM-L] How should a rebus be transcribed?

[Manon Theroux]

Erin,

Using square brackets and avoiding the "rebus for" construction is
also closest to the instructions in LCRI 1.0E under "Signs and
Symbols." Quoting selectively:

4)  Substitute in the language of the context the word, phrase, etc.,
that is the obvious spoken/written equivalent (if unknown in the
language of the context, use English); bracket the interpolated
equivalent.  If the element in the source is not preceded or followed
by a space, in general precede or follow the bracketed interpolation
by a space unless the preceding or following character in the source
is itself also a separator or unless the use of a space would create
an unintended result for searching.

transcription:  245 10 $a I [love] a piano
suggested note: 500 ## $a On t.p. "[love]" appears as a heart

transcription:  245 12 $a A study of the [ankh]
suggested note: 500 ## $a On t.p. "[ankh]" appears as the ankh symbol

transcription:  245 10 $a Poe[try] and free verse
(The interpolation is not preceded by a space because that would
create two words for searching (brackets are not separators))
suggested note: 500 ## $a On t.p. "[try]" appears as an illustration
in the form of a tree

[Note that these examples use "[love]" not "[heart]" and "[try]" not
"[tree]" ...]

-Manon

-- 
Manon Théroux
Head, Cataloging & Metadata Services
George Mason University
Fenwick Library, MSN 2FL
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-993-2313 (phone)
703-993-2263 (fax)

On Mon, Mar 30, 2009 at 7:52 AM, Joe A Springer <joeas at goshen.edu> wrote:
> Erin,
> I think option A is the most consistent with the way we handle somewhat
> similar cases, e.g. 2B4.1 Edition statements with special characters.  I
> think I might be inclined to always just name the picture in brackets in
> the title area and then do any interpreting in the note (along the lines of
> 0G3.7): Title and publisher's address in the form of a rebus with pictures
> of a boot [i.e. "Bute"], city, bridge, hole, London, buildings and garden.
> Because, as in this example, there may be bracketed information that is not
> part of the rebus, I think if we do go with Option A we may need to name
> the pictures in the note.  (I don't really like the "rebus for ..." model.)
>
> Option C looks like one would want to have as added title access.
> This example includes only "simple" rebuses where one picture=one word.
> When there are compound rebuses, say [tree]+[house], I think option A will
> still work well.  What about rebuses where a single (& transcribable!)
> letter or numeral fills in for one or several syllables in a multi-syllable
> word?
>
> Joe Springer
>
> On Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:50:51 -0400, "Erin Blake" <EBlake at FOLGER.edu> wrote:
>> Has anyone transcribed a rebus? While talking about disguised dates in
>> chronograms, the DCRM(G) editors wondered about other kinds of disguised
>> information. For example, the print at http://dcrmg.pbwiki.com/Rebuses
>> might be dealt with using one of the following options:
>>
>> Option A:
>> Title: The [boot i.e. Bute] interest in the [city], or the [bridge] in
> the
>> [hole]
>> Imprint: [London] : Sold in May's [Buildings] Covent [Garden] [by George
>> Bickham, 1760]
>> Note: Title and publisher's address in the form of a rebus.
>>
>> Option B:
>> Title: The [rebus for boot, i.e. Bute] interest in the [rebus for city],
> or
>> the [rebus for bridge] in the [rebus for hole]
>> Imprint: [London] : Sold in May's [rebus for buildings] Covent [rebus for
>> garden] [by George Bickham, 1760]
>>
>> Option C:
>> Title: The Bute interest in the city, or the bridge in the hole
>> Imprint: [London] : Sold in May's Buildings, Covent Garden [by George
>> Bickham, 1760]
>> Note: Title in the form of a rebus, with pictures for Bute (a boot),
> city,
>> bridge, and hole. Publisher's address in the form of a rebus, with
> pictures
>> for Buildings and Garden.
>>
>> The print in question could also be catalogued as a broadside, but the
>> other two examples linked to from http://dcrmg.pbwiki.com/Rebuses are
>> clearly graphic materials.
>>
>> What do you think?
>>
>>    EB.
>>
>> ---------------------------------------
>> Erin C. Blake, Ph.D. | Curator of Art & Special Collections | Folger
>> Shakespeare Library | 201 E. Capitol St. SE | Washington, DC 20003-1004 |
>> office tel. 202.675-0323 | fax 202.675-0328 | e-mail: eblake at folger.edu
>