Jeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
Jeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
Jeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative CommonsThese rather beautiful publisher's cloth bindings could not have been put on in 1831, the original year of publication, since the technology to stamp gold directly onto cloth was not introduced until February 1832. Bindings with elaborate tooling like this most probably date to at least a few years after 1832.
Jeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative CommonsUnlike the "Useful Knowledge" series some of the volumes in the Entertaining Knowledge series were beautifully illustrated with inserted engravings, such as this 2-volume set. In this instance the second volume presents a remarkable book length account of the July Revolution only 1 year after it occurred.
Jeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative CommonsReflective of the speed of the introduction of new material by the SDUK, in 1832 the series had already reached its 30th volume with three years of its launch in 1829. This set bound in the original printed wrappers is unusual for preserving the wrappers.
Complimenting the Library of Useful Knowledge, in 1829 the SDUK, in collaboration with publisher Charles Knight, launched the Library of Entertaining Knowledge that eventually extended to 36 volumes. Most of the volumes in this set that survived to the present were bound in hard covers rather than printed wrappers. Some copies in the original printed wrappers are illustrated. The titles in the Entertaining Knowledge series were normal book length, in contrast to the "Useful Knowledge" series that were mainly pamphlets. As a result, the price of the "Entertaining" volumes was higher (2 shillings per volume in wrappers).
In 1831 the Library of Entertaining Knowledge issued a 2-volume set on Paris and its Historical Scenes, followed by a second volume on the Revolution of 1830. My copy of this set is bound in a beautiful blind-stamped and gilt cloth binding that is far more elaborate than could have been done in 1831 since the technology of stamping gold directly onto cloth was not developed until February 1832. More than likely the elaborately gilt cloth binding on my set was put on a few years after that date.
Jeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
Jeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
Jeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative CommonsThese rather beautiful publisher's cloth bindings could not have been put on in 1831, the original year of publication, since the technology to stamp gold directly onto cloth was not introduced until February 1832. Bindings with elaborate tooling like this most probably date to at least a few years after 1832.
Jeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative CommonsUnlike the "Useful Knowledge" series some of the volumes in the Entertaining Knowledge series were beautifully illustrated with inserted engravings, such as this 2-volume set. In this instance the second volume presents a remarkable book length account of the July Revolution only 1 year after it occurred.
