[DCRM-L] Signature question

[Marilyn McClaskey]

In my copy the plate of alphabets has on it the 
instruction "to face p. 168"  so I believe it was intended.

At 07:08 PM 12/26/2012, you wrote:
>Although the ESTC record states only "plate" and 
>"map", again the Texas copy has the plate of 
>alphabets as well.  And it's present in the 1784 
>edition, where ESTC calls for "plates".  In the 
>absence of directions to the binder or other 
>mention of what's supposed to be present, it 
>can't be determined definitively whether the 
>alphabet plate is supposed to be present in a 
>perfect copy, though a census of copies could be suggestive.
>
>As to a/A - the preliminaries were typically 
>printed last (which is why the text begins with 
>sig. B in many cases), and the prelims. are 
>often signed in ways that don't lead directly 
>into the rest of the signing.  b followed by c 
>is an uncommon combination, but not cause for concern that anything's missing.
>
>
>On Dec 26, 2012, at 6:46 PM, Marilyn McClaskey <m-mccl at umn.edu> wrote:
>
> > In my copy the map precedes the title 
> page.  I also have a second plate at p. 168 
> (alphabets of these peoples) that I don't recall others mentioning--
> >
> > Your solution looks logical.  I just wonder 
> what happened to the a and A gatherings.  And 
> yes, I was suprised to find the gatherings of 2.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > At 05:24 PM 12/26/2012, you wrote:
> >> I wonder if the stub might be from the map - 
> in the Texas copy reproduced by ECCO, the map 
> follows p. viii, so if there is a map in a 
> similar position in your copy, the stub could 
> logically be either before p. v or after p. 4 
> (before c1 or after B2).  If the map were bound 
> as a frontispiece, a stub after b2 would also be logical.
> >>
> >> Given that the rest of the book is gathered 
> in twos (unusual for a quarto at this time, I'd 
> think), and what you can observe, I'd be inclined to go with:
> >>
> >> b^2 (b2 signed 'b') c^2 B-5D^2.
> >>
> >> and make any note that seems appropriate to 
> record the degree of uncertainty in the formulaic statement.
> >>
> >> John
> >>
> >>
> >> On Dec 26, 2012, at 5:49 PM, Marilyn McClaskey <m-mccl at umn.edu> wrote:
> >>
> >> > Thanks for the guidance, John.
> >> >
> >> > The History of Sumatra, containing an 
> account of the government ... / by William 
> Marsden, F.R.S. ...   London : Printed for the 
> author and sold by Thomas Payne ... MDCCLXXXIII.
> >> >
> >> > The book is well and truly bound and the 
> pages so deep that I cannot tell the structure 
> without doing serious damage.  I can see, 
> however, that there is a stub between b and c, 
> partially pasted to the back of b, but b is 
> sewn in deeply, not dependent upon that 
> stub.  I tried tugging at it a bit and it seems 
> more like to be [blank] and b conjugate, then c 
> and [blank] conjugate.  And actually, it may 
> indeed be the stub that is conjugate with the 
> first blank and b was pasted onto it before 
> binding (which is likely contemporary with the publication)
> >> >
> >> > Hope this helps.
> >> >
> >> > At 04:32 PM 12/26/2012, you wrote:
> >> >> The first question that needs to be 
> answered is what the structure of those leaves 
> is.  Do they form two gatherings of two leaves 
> each, or one gathering of four leaves?  (Or is one or more a singleton?)
> >> >>
> >> >> When asking this sort of question, it's 
> also useful to provide information about the work and edition, for context.
> >> >>
> >> >> Thanks.
> >> >>
> >> >> John Lancaster
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> On Dec 26, 2012, at 5:24 PM, Marilyn McClaskey <m-mccl at umn.edu> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> > I have a book that is signed perfectly 
> all the way thru from B-5D².  There are 4 
> leaves preceding B1.  They are signed [blank] b 
> c [blank]. The first is the tp, and the other 
> three are the preface.  Any clue how I would record that?
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Marilyn McClaskey
> >> >> > Rare Books Cataloger
> >> >> > University of Minnesota Libraries
> >> >> > m-mccl at umn.edu
> >> >> > (612) 626-0127
> >> >
> >> > Marilyn McClaskey
> >> > Rare Books Cataloger
> >> > University of Minnesota Libraries
> >> > m-mccl at umn.edu
> >> > (612) 626-0127
> >
> > Marilyn McClaskey
> > Rare Books Cataloger
> > University of Minnesota Libraries
> > m-mccl at umn.edu
> > (612) 626-0127

Marilyn McClaskey
Rare Books Cataloger
University of Minnesota Libraries
m-mccl at umn.edu
(612) 626-0127