Descriptive Bibliography, RBS (July 2010)

Introduction to the Principles of Descriptive Bibliography, Rare Book School (Charlottesville, VA) July 26-30; Richard Noble, David Whitesell

Bibliography

pre-1820, almost certain to be handmade; post-1840, almost certain to be machine-made 1820-1840, transitional phase

laid and wove can be handmade or machine-made

in Western world, all paper up to 1760 is laid

handmade laid paper: around chainlines, paper pulp gathers more, creating bar shadows -- 1/4in. darker area -- incicates handmade paper

white/light spot on paper -- created from a drop of paper that forms a depression (vatman's

tears)

mold side: meets the paper mold; has a kind of grid line characteristic felt side: meets the felt; flatter, smoother

shadowless laid paper: modern handmade laid paper that doesn't produce bar shadows

Brits leaders in machine-made paper; by 1820s, very rare to find handmade paper in London

in German-speaking territories, handmade paper used well into 1840s

some early wove papers, you still get chainline-like impressions -- rib marks

machine-made paper: two ways -- pulp spread on continuous belt (Fourdrinier), or on revolving

drum of wire mesh (cylinder and vat machine); other impressions can be made on it by running

it under a dandyroll (e.g. fake chainlines, watermarks

deckle edge can be found on cylinder vat machine; usually cylinder creates continuous web, but

if dropped onto rubber belt with felt shapes on it, pulp sticks to felt but runs away from rubber;

can create different shapes

watermarks:

describing paper:

paper as bibliographical evidence: