[DCRM-L] Signature question

[Noble, Richard]

The preliminary leaves are indeed just b-c^2, omitting a. A wire-drawn
logic can be reconstructed for the omission: 1) a signature is desired; 2)
leaf numeration (e.g. 'a2') is not desired--perhaps because, given the
established pattern of unsigned $2, it might be inferred as leaf 2 of 4; 3)
a signature 'a' might be taken to mean that nothing precedes this leaf.

I've seen other quartos in 2s, though I can't say just how unusual it
is--perhaps not so much. Work-and-turn half-sheet imposition in octavo and
duodecimo was by this time routine in English printing, and might well be
applied to quarto for the same reasons of efficiency and convenience.
Brown's copy also includes the alphabets plate "To face P. 168" (the
instruction is engraved high on the plate and subject to trimming--it's
half gone in our copy), so it's clearly a necessary component in an
ideal-copy description; p. 168 contains a comparative table of words in
various languages.

I see that Marilyn revised OCLC 316434033, a National Library of Scotland
record from RLIN that has only 3 holdings attached. I'm going to do the
same, in somewhat fuller style, to OCLC 5306620 (another I-level record),
with 44 holdings, including Brown. It ought to be the master "master"
record, though I've despaired of reporting duplicates. For what it's worth,
the ECCO repro appends pp. 384-479 [480-488] of the 3rd edition (1811).
That pagination follows on from final p. [382] of the 1783 edition, omitting
p. 383 for some reason; God knows whether the book is bound that way (if
so, it certainly includes p. 383). The ECCO record describes the 1783
edition as having "492 p." (inaccurate in all respects). I'll report it as
a problem with the record. (Maybe we just need to start over ...)

RICHARD NOBLE : RARE BOOKS CATALOGER : JOHN HAY LIBRARY : BROWN UNIVERSITY
PROVIDENCE, RI 02912 : 401-863-1187/FAX 863-3384 : RICHARD_NOBLE at BROWN.EDU


On Thu, Dec 27, 2012 at 2:11 PM, Marilyn McClaskey <m-mccl at umn.edu> wrote:

> 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
>
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