Function

Form of Book

This book takes on the form of what would be the mechanization of the printing process. It contains wood pulp pages, which were made cheaply and easily, as compared to the more expensive hand lain paper. Further, it has a pressed carboard binding showing signs of age. The spine of the book has been replaced, due to the fragility of books of this period. Otherwise, it is unadorned. The text block is contiguous, alluding to machine printing, and pictures do not have the telltale pressed frame around them but are inseparable from the text. This illustration style was therefore probably woodcut as it could be placed directly into the printer without disturbing the printing process. The font itself is a modern serif font, denoting an academic attitude and impression. Everything about the book shows it is for serious reading, with diagrams included only to highlight research findings and binding without tooling, bosses or clasps of any kind.
 * 1) Belly band-None
 * 2) Flap-None
 * 3) Endpaper-Yellowed, with Goucher seal attached, as well as a claim of ownership
 * 4) Book cover-Bound with a Binder's board binding
 * 5) Top edge-exhibits signs of age (cracking, brittleness, yellowing)
 * 6) Fore edge-exhibits more severe signs of age due to use
 * 7) Tail edge-Contains a claim to ownership
 * 8) Right page, recto
 * 9) Left page, verso
 * 10) Gutter-slipping from spine, puncture marks are evident, no watermark as it contains wood-pulp paper.

 Without chain lines or watermarks, it is hard to determine how this book was assembled. There are, however, telltale signs that the leaves were stitched together, evidenced by the puncture lines on pages near the spine of the book. The text block itself is yellowed with age, and the paper quality, even for wood pulp is low, as there are visible natural discolorations in the paper. Coupled with the brittleness of the leaves, this book serves as an exemplar of the fragility of 19th century books. With the industrialization and mass production of books in its baby steps, it is clear that quality and durability was sacrificed for the sake of efficiency and number.

These journals were not meant to be shelved as luxury items, but more read as we would a modern magazine. Indeed, stylistically, the book is modern in that it transcends the "book as status symbol" mentality of the previous two centuries. What is important is not the form of the book, but the content. The treasure of literature was that it translated knowledge and aided in the "pursuits of the mind," not that it matched the china. Nowhere is this theme more evident than in the modest frontispiece of the volume, which states that a year-long subscription is availible for the sum of $5.00, the equivalent of a fine meal or modest pair of clothes. Compare this to the price of manuscripts, or books printed by hand, whose price for an individual volume was the modern equivalent of of high-end fashion accessories (like Louis Vuitton).