[DCRM-L] Odd signing

[JOHN LANCASTER]

I'm not the expert, but I'd find it useful to know more about the book: Author, title, imprint? And is there evidence for octavo beyond the fact that it's gathered in eights?  (Chain lines; watermarks?)

John Lancaster


On 2014 Nov 18, at 11:12, Deborah J. Leslie <DJLeslie at FOLGER.edu> wrote:

> It doesn't look like anyone has responded to this yet, Bob. I don't think you can call it unsigned, so it's up to your 2nd or 3rd options. What does the expert say? (I'm looking at you, Richard Noble.)
> 
> Deborah J. Leslie | Folger Shakespeare Library | djleslie at folger.edu | 202.675-0369 | 201 East Capitol St., SE, Washington, DC 20003 | www. folger.edu
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On Behalf Of Robert Steele
> Sent: Friday, 07 November 2014 10:37
> To: dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu
> Subject: [DCRM-L] Odd signing
> 
> Collective wisdom:
> 
> I think something like this was discussed a few weeks ago, but this time I can see the threads.
> 
> Dissertation from Leiden, 1819. Octavo (as I said, I can see the threads). The signings are in this pattern:
> 
> A, A2, A3, -, B, B2, B3, - // C, C2, C3, -, D, D2, D3, - // etc. throughout.
> 
> I don't think this is a situation of "double signing," since plates are unlikely to have been used for a dissertation in 1819. Also, since the pages are untrimmed, I don't think the sheet could have been cut in half and folded another way. I have no idea why the printer used these signings, but anyway I want to construct a signature statement.
> Would you suggest:
> 
> Unsigned, [1]-[15]⁸?
> 
> or:
> 
> A⁸ C⁸ ... 2F⁸?
> 
> or:
> 
> A/B⁸ C/D⁸ ... 2F/2G⁸?
> 
> or something else?
> 
> Robert Steele
> Jacob Burns Law Library
> George Washington University