Printed Waste

One of the most interesting aspects of working with special collections materials is the physical nature of the items themselves. Who owned them? How were they used? How were they made? This post primarily concerns the last question.

IMG_2569While cataloging a copy of an 1808 edition of Milton’s poems, I noticed something odd about the binding. On the marbled endpapers, underneath the decorative swirls and spots, there was printed text. The darker blue marbling had fully obscured many of the words, but in the gray or clear areas whole words and even phrases were visible.

It is not uncommon to find printed waste (printed sheets in whole or part repurposed as binding or mending material for another book) in early book bindings. Paper, being one of the most expensive commodities in early book production, was reused whenever possible. However, in book bindings, printed waste was more often used in ways that could not be detected by the average reader, for example, to line the inside of the spine. It is rather uncommon to find printed waste used as endpapers, particularly by the turn of the 19th century.

 

Printed as well as manuscript (or handwritten) waste can be of potential research value. A notable example is the use of sheets from a suppressed edition of John Cleland’s famous 1748 erotic novel Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (commonly known as Fanny Hill) to bind several books in the early 19th century. In this case, the printed sheets were marbled and used as a covering for the front and back boards.

 

In the University of Oregon’s copy of the 1808 Milton, a binder’s ticket, which appears to be contemporary with the binding, on the front free endpaper of the first volume identifies the binder as F. Kyle, working at 23 Great Marylebone Street, London. He probably acquired the waste from a local publisher, or perhaps himself was involved in publishing. One wonders how many other books left his shop bound thus and how many other literary works were repurposed as binding material.

 

 

 

The waste used in the Milton binding appears to contain the text of a Scottish poem, which, at the time of this writing, I have not been able to identify. Legible fragments include “Mirth bade adieu to Care,” “An ilka lad, wi’ heart fu’,” “The glories of the day!” “The sheep, the pleugh,” “An’ seem’d nor douf nor wearie,” “That some might liquor hand him,” and “Sour crabit cancar’d pryin.” More patient eyes will no doubt be able to make out additional content. If any reader can identify the poet and poem(s), please get in touch.

 

 

 

By Ryan Hildebrand, Authorities & Special Collections Cataloger/Librarian

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