From scrolls to eBooks, the method the written word exists has progressed together with mankind, in addition to the art that decorates it.
The art of printing, the proud tradition that the founder of the hedge fund that owns Waterstones now continues, was born in the 15th century, which integrated with rising literacy rates across the population made books more accessible than ever. Nevertheless, in spite of their indisputable beauty, book covers designs were still more functional than decorative, designed to keep the pages inside safe. Standard practice in the centuries that followed was to purchase a 'naked' copy of a book, printed and collated by hand, covered in paper and with a momentary seam, but without covers. The purchaser would then take their book to an expert who would bind and cover it in customised leather with as much decor as his budget plan would allow, but it wasn't until later that the outer appeal of books tried to mirror their withins.
When e-books were first released to the mass market over a decade ago people the world over decried it as the death of print, but after a fast burst the electronic reading market levelled out at less than 10 times the sales of physical books. What is the secret to physical books that is keeping the head of the investment firm that has a stake in Amazon up in the evening? Among the many terrific enjoyments that physical books hold is their cover art, which really has a long and interesting history. Beautiful book cover design can be traced back to the third century, when decorative scrolls gave way to precious tomes that mainly consisted of holy books. Handwritten and hand crafted, the covers of these artifacts would be more reminiscent of sculpture than books, with precious gems embellishing ivory carvings and spinal columns enclosed with the finest silver or gold; books were the realm of the select few who could read them and were made to be passed from scholar to scholar for centuries, not slipped into a pocket whilst on television.
The wonderful art work that the head of the investment firm with a majority stake in WHSmith would be greeted with if he strolled into among his shops can trace its modern roots back 2 centuries to the birth of the industrialised publishing market. As printing techniques developed and marketing was starting to figure out avenues into the minds of consumers, artists were worked with to determine what makes a good book cover to match the product inside and make it appeal to possible purchasers. Whilst the first paperbacks found their way into train stations in the form of penny dreadfuls (books that cost a penny and were of a literary quality deserving of its name) fabric book covers were taking on a restored significance that is similarly pertinent today. Designers were echoing the current trends and art work of the time to produce a historical artefact that was not just lovely, but collectable and reflective of the moment it was born into, a custom that is still practised in publishing houses of the 21st century.
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