In accordance with general usage, the fold of the sheet, as folio,
quarto, octavo, when it can be ascertained, is to be stated. As an
additional, and more exact designation of size, the _Height and
Breadth of the first full signature page_ (the folio and signature
lines being omitted in the measurement) are to be stated in inches
and tenths, the fractions being expressed decimally.
~Explanation 1.~ The librarian should use a small square or rule,
marked with inches and tenths. The first number given should
represent the height, and the second, the breadth of the page. In the
catalogue, the measurement would be recorded thus:--
8º (7.3×4.2)
that is, fold of sheet, 8vo; measuring, 7 inches and 3 tenths in
height, by 4 inches and 2 tenths in breadth.
~Explanation 2.~ When the first signature page is not a full page, or
when it has foot notes, turn to the first succeeding signature page
which is full and without notes.
~Explanation 3.~ When there are no signatures, measure the first full
_recto_ page. If the other pages vary much from the standard page,
add _irr._ for _irregular_.
~Explanation 4.~ Marginal rules and side marginal references and
notes are not to be regarded in the measurement; some editions may
be printed with and some without them. But such marginal references
should be mentioned.
~Explanation 5.~ Catch-words generally stand upon the signature
line, and are therefore not to be counted. The measurement of height
should, however, comprise all printed matter below the folio line,
and above the signature line. By folio line is meant that upon which
stands the number of the page.
~Remarks.~ The designation of the form is added to the titles of
books in catalogues for two purposes: to enable one to distinguish
between different editions of the same book, and to convey to those
who have not seen the book, some idea of its size.
The fold of the paper has been universally adopted, as the measure of
size. A sheet once folded, forming two leaves, or four pages, is a
folio. A sheet twice folded, forming four leaves or eight pages, is a
quarto. A sheet three times folded, forming eight leaves, or sixteen
pages, is an octavo. A sheet so folded as to form twelve leaves, or
twenty-four pages, is a duodecimo. And so on.
But this method of designating the size of a book is inexact and
frequently deceptive; because, 1st, it is not always possible to
ascertain the fold; and, 2dly, the fold, when ascertained, gives no
definite indication of the size or shape of the book.
In many books one can tell, at a glance, the fold of the sheet; but
it is unsafe to rely upon this first impression. Examination of
signatures is indispensable. Sometimes, it is necessary to examine
also the water-lines and water-marks. Occasionally, all these will
fail us.
_Signatures_ are letters or figures placed at the bottom of the first
page of each sheet, as guides to the binder, to denote the order of
the sheets. The signatures of the different forms from folio to 32mo,
would regularly be placed as follows:
Folio, sheet, on pages 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, &c.
Quarto, " " " 1, 9, 17, 25, 33, 41, &c.
Octavo, " " " 1, 17, 33, 49, 65, 81, &c.
8vo, 1/2 sheet, " " 1, 9, 17, 25, 33, 41, &c.
12mo, sheet, " " 1, 25, 49, 73, 97, 121, &c.
12mo, 1/2 sheet, " " 1, 13, 25, 37, 49, 61, &c.
16mo, sheet, " " 1, 33, 65, 97, 129, 161, &c.
16mo, 1/2 sheet, " " 1, 17, 33, 49, 65, 81, &c.
18mo, sheet, " " 1, 37, 73, 109, 145, 181, &c.
18mo, 1/2 sheet, " " 1, 19, 37, 55, 73, 91, &c.
24mo, sheet, " " 1, 49, 97, 145, 193, 241, &c.
24mo, 1/2 sheet, " " 1, 25, 49, 73, 97, 121, &c.
32mo, sheet, " " 1, 65, 129, 193, 257, 321, &c.
32mo, 1/2 sheet, " " 1, 33, 65, 97, 129, 161, &c.
But sometimes the paging of the book begins in the midst of a
signature; in such cases the signatures would fall on pages different
from the above, throughout the book, though the intervals would be
regular. Double signatures are sometimes placed upon stereotype
plates, to enable printers to impose them either as octavos or
duodecimos.
Besides the principal signatures, there are subordinate signatures,
which, as they do not help to distinguish the size of the book, but
are only used to aid the binder, are omitted in the above table.
It will be seen from this table, that the signatures are precisely
the same for 8vos, in half sheets, as for 4tos; for 16mos, in half
sheets, as for 8vos; for 24mos, in half sheets, as for 12mos; for
32mos, in half sheets, as for 16mos.
Printers impose in half sheets or sheets, according to their
convenience. Of course, therefore, from the signatures _alone_, it
is impossible to distinguish between 4tos and 8vos, 8vos and 16mos,
12mos and 24mos, 16mos and 32mos. It is generally easy to determine
the fold by the size and shape of the book, but (as we shall show
hereafter) not _always_.
Signatures do not occur in the earliest printed books; but as this
class of books is small, and very particularly described by Panzer,
Hain, and others, there is but little difficulty in ascertaining the
precise description of them.
Books may be quired in printing, that is, several sheets may be put
together, like the sheets in a quire of paper. In this case the
principal signature is the same as if the whole formed only one
sheet. A folio may thus be undistinguishable from an 8vo, by the
signatures alone.
When signatures fail us, resort may sometimes be had to the water
lines, which, by holding the paper up to the light, may be seen
crossing the sheet perpendicularly, in the folio, 8vo, 18mo, 24mo,
and 32mo; and horizontally, in all the other forms less than
32mo; sometimes, also, in the 24mo. The water-mark is a device
of the manufacturer, placed in the middle of the half sheet, and
distinguishable in the same way as the water-line. In the folio,
this occurs in the middle of the page; in the quarto, in the back or
fold of the book; in the 8vo, at the upper and inner corner. At the
present day, however, printing paper is seldom made with water-lines
or water-marks.
In examining a book, all these means of determining its fold
occasionally deceive the most skilful bibliographer. If sheets of
paper had, from the first, been always made of the same size, there
would be comparatively little difficulty. But they have always varied
so much, that a very small 8vo is often in no way distinguishable, in
dimensions, from a large 16mo. Many other sizes also are liable to be
confounded.
The following measurements, in inches, of a leaf of folio, octavo,
and 16mo, of foolscap, medium, and imperial paper, will show how
impossible it would be, from the size of the book to determine the
fold of the sheet, even of paper of what are called the regular
sizes, particularly when the books have been cut down in binding:
Folio, Octavo, 16mo.
Foolscap, 13-1/4×8-3/8, 6-5/8×4-1/4, 4-1/4×3-3/8,
Medium, 18-1/4×11-1/2, 9-1/8×5-3/4, 5-3/4×4-1/2,
Imperial, 21-7/8×15, 11×7-1/2, 7-1/2×5-1/2,
Since the introduction of machine paper and large presses, paper is
made of almost any and every size and shape, and it is no longer
possible to distinguish, with accuracy, the different folds. Books,
which, judged by the eye, would be supposed to be quartos, are, in
reality, duodecimos; books which might be supposed to be octavos,
are 16mos, &c. The signatures, as we have seen, will not inform us
whether a book is an 8vo, or a 16mo on half sheets. There are no
water-marks to help us; nor is it possible in any way to tell.
If it be thus difficult, and often impossible, to ascertain the fold
with the book before us, of what use can it be, as a designation of
size, to those who have only the description? This is a difficulty
which has but commenced. It is becoming more serious every year. It
is more serious in America, than in other countries, for in Europe,
there is much more regularity in the sizes of paper than here.
On these accounts, it has been thought desirable, if not
indispensable, to introduce some new method of designating the size
of books. The measurement of the printed page has seemed the readiest
and most useful. The trouble of measuring is much less than might,
at first sight, be supposed, and the time occupied by it is hardly
worthy of consideration.
It would be, for all purposes of bibliography, better to make this
the universal method of designating the size of books. It would save
numberless blunders and frequent perplexity; and, upon the whole,
would take less of the librarian's time, than the ordinary process of
ascertaining the fold, provided that be done with exactness.
XI. In books of one volume, the body of which does not contain more
than one hundred pages, the number of pages is to be specified. In
applying this rule, copy the number of the last page of the body of
the book, or of any addition paged continuously with it.
~Remark 1.~ The value of catalogues would, doubtless, be enhanced
by giving the number of pages in every volume, after the manner of
Dryander in the Catalogue of Sir Joseph Banks's library; or with even
greater particularity, thus: _pp. xxvi+345+~xlv~_, meaning 26 pages
of prefatory matter, 345 pages in the body of the book, and 45 pages
of appendix. But the disproportionate amount of additional labor, as
well as of increase in the bulk and cost of catalogues, which such
enumeration and notation would demand, renders it necessary to limit
the object of this rule, which is to show whether the work described
be merely of pamphlet size.
~Remark 2.~ Prefatory matter is not to be included in the enumeration
of pages. But if it be something more than a preface or introduction
by the author, and deemed of sufficient importance to be added to
the title, the number of pages of such prefatory matter should be
included in the addition.
XII. All additions to the titles are to be printed in italics, and
between brackets; to be in the English language, whatever be the
language of the title; to be such only as are applicable to all
copies of the edition described, and necessary for a full titular
description of the book.
~Exception.~ When parts of a name are supplied within brackets, they
are to be in the vernacular of the author, whatever be the language
of the title; and, if the name be used for the heading, the part
supplied in the title is to correspond in typography with the rest of
the name; that is, to be printed in small capitals.
~Remark 1.~ It is not always easy to say what additions are
necessary, to render a title satisfactorily descriptive. A title is
often a mere name, arbitrarily chosen by the author. It is sometimes
allegorical, or embodies, in a pun, or conceit, or covert allusion,
some indication of the subject-matter of the book. In such cases,
it was not designed to be descriptive of the work, and could not
be made so, without destroying its character. Explanations of such
titles may be thought desirable; but if so, they should be given in
notes, and separate from the titles themselves. A title should be the
briefest possible designation of the contents of a book. It should
cover everything which the book contains, but in the most general
terms, without minute specifications. Mindful of this definition,
we shall frequently find cases, where the title, intended to be
descriptive, fails to give us what we have a right to expect. A book
may be in a different language from the title-page. It may be in
several languages, while the title indicates but one. It may contain
an important Preface, Introduction, or Biography of the author, by
another hand, not mentioned in the title. In these, and in many other
cases, additions to the titles may be necessary.
~Remark 2.~ There are many cases, however, where it seems desirable
to give further information concerning a work, than could be given
within the title, under the restrictions of the preceding paragraph.
The title may be a misnomer, or it may contain allusions, which it
is desirable to explain. The book may be a rare and valuable one,
with maps and illustrations, the number and description of which
ought to be given. It may have been privately printed, or limited to
a small number of copies, or prohibited, or condemned to be burnt.
The edition may be the _Editio princeps_, or a fac-simile of an
early edition, or a surreptitious or spurious edition; or it may be
identical, except in the title, with what purports to be another
edition, or an independent work. These facts belong, more properly,
to a bibliographical dictionary, than to a catalogue. It is proper,
however, that they should be noted by cataloguers. They may, also, be
printed, at the discretion of the superintendent, but generally, in
the form of separate notes, rather than as additions to the titles.
~Remark 3.~ Peculiarities of copies, such as large paper, satin
paper, vellum; also notes, autographs, cancelled leaves, substituted
leaves, mutilations and alterations; binding in a different number
of volumes from that indicated in the title, or ascertained by
the rule already given, &c. &c.,--these, and other peculiarities
or imperfections of copy, relate only to particular copies, and
therefore should not be noticed in a title intended to apply to the
whole edition. Every cataloguer should, however, note every such
thing, after the title. The note may be printed in the catalogue of
the library containing the book described, but not, usually, in the
title for the General Catalogue.