[DCRM-L] Collation conundrum (another example)

[JOHN LANCASTER]

If I understand Patrick correctly, it would be A^6 (A6 signed 'A'), as he has suggested even as I'm writing this note.

But if leaf  'A' is a preface, is it clear that the binding as a wrap-around is the correct placement?

A quick look at the digitized BSB copy of the 1560 suggests a complication - there does seem to be the wrapped bifolium (though with the caveat that from a page-by-page reproduction, one can't tell conjugacy) - but if so, it's wrapped around the six-leaf "Praefatio" that is bound at the end of the BSB copy of the 1541 (i.e. following the colophon), and signed A, A2, A3 on leaves 1-3 - the signing and sequence of this one gathering following the left-to-right order of a non-Hebrew book, while everything else reads and is bound right-to-left.

And the BSB 1541 doesn't appear to have an appropriate 4-leaf unsigned gathering.  Is that gathering new to the 1560 as well?

But of course these are only two specific copies, which may have any number of errors (or at least idiosyncracies).  The curse of trying to do bibliography as a cataloguer.

Richard Noble and I have since had the opportunity of a face-to-face discussion of the issues raised by Lenore's pamphlet; we will probably never entirely agree on the preferable formulary statement.  In the end, as long as all the leaves and their placements are accounted for, there will probably always be differing opinions on which statement best brings out the more important features - because we will differ on what's more important, or rather on where and how various features should be recorded and explained, and thus variously emphasized.

Please don't accept uncritically anything any of us says - just be clear on your own reasons for doing whatever you decide to do, and make sure all the leaves are accounted for and, if necessary, discussed.

John Lancaster


On Nov 28, 2012, at 11:16 AM, "Deborah J. Leslie" <DJLeslie at FOLGER.edu> wrote:

> Wouldn't it be A^6 (A2 signed 'A') according to John's advice?
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On Behalf Of Cates, Patrick
> Sent: Wednesday, 28 November, 2012 10:25
> To: DCRM Revision Group List
> Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Collation conundrum (another example)
> 
> I just came across situation similar to Lenore's pamphlet.
> Birckmann's 1560 reissue of Levita's Lexicon Chaldaicum (originally
> published: Isny : Fagius, 1541) has a bifolium with a new titlepage and preface wrapped around the first (unsigned) 4 leaf gathering of Fagius's edition.  The second leaf of the added bifolium is signed "A."  Following John's advice to Lenore, the collation would be: pi^6 ... (pi6 signed "A").
> 
> Patrick Cates
> Technical Services Librarian
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