Research Guides: History of Text Technologies: Cloth

Cloth Edition Bindings

During the 19th century, the book industry responded to a greater demand for books by seeking fast, cheap methods for producing books. Vellum and leather had been traditionally used for binding but were costly. To meet new demands, binders opted for cheaper and widely available materials such as cloth. Cloth could be starched and tooled to allow the covers to retain elaborate decorations.

Source: Victoria and Albert Museum blog

Examples from the Collection of FSU Special Collections & Archives

The marvelous wonders of the polar world : being a complete and authentic history of voyages and discoveries in the polar regions by A.W. Greely, Winfield Scott Schley, John Wilson Danehower, Herman Dieck
Call Number: SCA Remote Storage 1 ; G625 .M37 1885

Publication Date: 1885

This is an example of case binding. The cover's olive green cloth has an image of polar north in black and gold. It has the same embossed image on upper and lower covers, but the lower cover is not colored. The black on the spine shows a slight slip in the printing. The pasted endbands are marvelously cheap and terrible.

History of the World's fair : being a complete description of the World's Columbian Exposition from its inception by Benjamin Cummings Truman
Call Number: Rare ; T500.B1 T8 1893

Publication Date: ca. 1893

This is an example of case binding. It has a light blue coated cloth with red, black, and gold. There are cheap, printed endpapers. Only the front and binding are embossed; the rear is left blank.

External Sources for Cloth Bindings

Bookcloth in England and America, 1823-50 by Andrea Krupp, British Library Staff (Contribution by), Bibliographical Society of America Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: General Collection ; Z269.3.C58 K78 2008

ISBN: 9781584562139

Publication Date: 2008-04-01

A book discussing the history of bookbinding cloth in England and America. Including cloth bookbinding's introduction and nomenclature alongside observations on bookcloth patterns and an illustrated catalogue of 248 nineteenth-century bookcloths.

American Book Covers, 1830-1900
A flyer illustrating the changes in design and technology of in the production of publishers' bindings between 1830 and 1900. Published by the Library of Congress Binding and Collections Care Division, 1998.
Digital Collection of Publishers Bindings from the Boston Athenaeum
A digital collection of over 200 examples of publishers' cloth bindings.