Part of The Grand Glossary: A Collector's Reference. This section covers the specialist vocabulary of rare books and antique maps, from the mechanics of early printing and the interpretation of edition terminology to the assessment of condition, the vocabulary of the map trade, and the legal frameworks governing the sale of significant works. Terms are arranged alphabetically within thematic groupings.
Early Printing and Book Production
Colophon
An inscription, originally placed at the end of a manuscript or early printed book, recording information about the production of the work: the printer’s name, the place and date of printing, and sometimes the name of the author or patron. In early printed books (incunabula and books of the early 16th century), the colophon frequently provides the only bibliographic information about the production of the work, as title pages were not yet standard. By the mid-16th century, the title page had assumed many of the colophon’s functions, though colophons continued in use in various forms. The colophon is a primary source for the identification and dating of early books.
Folio, Quarto, Octavo
Terms describing the format of a book, derived from the number of times a single sheet of paper was folded to form the leaves of a gathering. A folio is produced by folding a sheet once, creating two leaves (four pages); a quarto by folding twice, creating four leaves (eight pages); an octavo by folding three times, creating eight leaves (sixteen pages). Smaller formats — duodecimo (12mo), sextodecimo (16mo), and so on — follow the same logic. The format affects the physical size of the book, though the actual dimensions depend on the size of the original sheet. Format is an important element of bibliographic description and affects the collation of a book.
Gatherings (Signatures)
The folded sections of paper from which a book is assembled. Each gathering consists of one or more sheets folded together; the gatherings are sewn together at the spine to form the book block. In early printed books, each gathering is typically identified by a signature — a letter or combination of letters and numbers printed at the foot of the first leaf (and sometimes subsequent leaves) of the gathering to guide the binder in assembling the book in the correct order. The collation of a book — the systematic description of its gatherings and leaves — is the fundamental bibliographic tool for identifying completeness and detecting later insertions or replacements.
Incunabula
Books printed before 1 January 1501, in the first half-century of European printing with moveable type. The term derives from the Latin cunabula (cradle), referring to the cradle period of printing. Incunabula are the rarest and most historically significant category of printed books; approximately 28,000 editions are recorded in the Gesamtkatalog der Wiegendrucke (GW) and the Incunabula Short Title Catalogue (ISTC). They were produced using hand-press technology and types modelled on the manuscript hands of the region in which they were printed — gothic types in Germany and the Low Countries, roman types in Italy. The identification of incunabula requires specialist knowledge of early printing practices and typefaces.
Type and Typeface
The design of the letterforms used in a printed book, which is a primary tool in identifying the printer, the place of printing, and the date of a book, particularly in the early period of printing when typefaces were closely associated with specific printers and workshops. The principal categories of historical type are gothic (blackletter), roman, and italic. Within each category, individual typefaces can be identified and attributed to specific printers using reference works such as the Typenrepertorium der Wiegendrucke and the British Library’s Incunabula database. The identification of typefaces is a specialist discipline within the study of early books.
Vellum
A writing and printing support made from the prepared skin of a calf, lamb, or kid, as distinct from paper. Vellum was the standard support for manuscripts throughout the medieval period and continued in use for luxury printing into the early modern era. Books printed on vellum are significantly rarer and more valuable than paper copies of the same edition, as only a small number of copies of any given edition were printed on vellum for presentation or luxury purposes. Vellum is identified by its semi-translucent, slightly greasy surface, the variation in thickness across the sheet, and the visibility of the natural veining of the skin when held to the light.
Watermark
See the companion entry in the Glossary of Art, Prints, and Works on Paper. In the context of rare books, watermarks are used to identify the paper stock used in a particular printing, to distinguish between issues of an edition printed on different papers, and to date undated books or confirm the date of dated ones. The identification of watermarks in books requires the same specialist knowledge as in works on paper; the principal reference works are those of Briquet and Heawood.
Edition Terminology
Edition
All copies of a book printed from substantially the same setting of type or from the same plates. A new edition involves a new setting of type or new plates; a reprint (or impression) is produced from the same setting or plates as a previous printing. In modern publishing usage, edition and impression are sometimes used loosely; in bibliographic usage, the distinction is precise and important. First editions — the first appearance of a text in print — are generally the most sought by collectors, though the bibliographic identification of a true first edition may require detailed comparison of copies and reference to specialist bibliographies.
First Edition
The first appearance of a text in printed form. The identification of the first edition of a work may be straightforward or extremely complex, depending on the printing history of the text. Some works appeared in multiple forms simultaneously (a trade edition and a limited edition, for example); others were published abroad before appearing in the country of the author’s residence. The bibliographic points — the specific typographic or physical features that distinguish the first edition (or the first printing of the first edition) from later printings — are documented in specialist bibliographies for many collected authors.
Issue and State
An issue is a group of copies of an edition that differs from other copies of the same edition in some intentional respect — a cancel title page, a different binding, or additional material — introduced by the publisher after part of the edition had already been distributed. A state is a variant within a single impression, produced by a change to the type or plates during the print run, without the intention of creating a distinct issue. The distinction between issue and state is a matter of bibliographic precision and affects the relative desirability and value of copies.
Points
The specific typographic or physical features — a misprint on a particular page, the presence or absence of an advertisement leaf, the colour of the binding cloth, the presence of a particular reading in the text — that distinguish the first printing of a first edition from later printings, or one issue from another. Points are documented in specialist bibliographies and are the primary tool of the first edition collector. The reliability of published points varies; some are well established and consistently present; others are contested or have been found to be unreliable indicators.
Physical Description and Condition
Binding
The covering of a book, comprising the boards (front and back covers), the spine, and the material — leather, cloth, paper, or other — used to cover them. Bindings are described by their material (calf, morocco, vellum, cloth), their decoration (blind-tooled, gilt, marbled), their condition, and their period. Fine bindings by identified binders are collected as objects in their own right. The condition of the binding is a primary factor in the assessment of a book’s value: original bindings, even in worn condition, are generally preferred over rebindings. The identification of binding leathers and their deterioration (red rot in calf and sheep, powdering in vegetable-tanned leathers) is an important part of collection care.
Boards
The rigid covers of a book, typically made of cardboard or (in early books) of wooden boards covered with leather or other material. In bibliographic description, ‘boards’ refers specifically to the plain cardboard covers used for temporary binding in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, before a purchaser had a book bound to their own specification. Books in original boards — particularly if uncut or unopened — are valued for the evidence they provide of the book’s original state.
Cancels
Leaves (or portions of leaves) that have been cut out of a book and replaced with a new leaf (the cancel) carrying corrected or revised text. Cancels were a common expedient in early printing to correct errors or to substitute a new dedication or title page. The original leaf is called the cancellandum; the replacement is the cancellans. Cancels are identified by a stub of the original leaf visible at the inner margin and by a slight difference in paper or printing between the cancel and the surrounding leaves. The presence or absence of a cancel may be significant in identifying the issue of a book.
Collation
The systematic description of the gatherings and leaves of a book, providing a formula that allows the completeness of a copy to be verified and compared with other copies or with the bibliographic description in a standard reference. A full collation records the signatures, the number of leaves in each gathering, and any leaves that deviate from the standard structure (blanks, cancel leaves, inserted plates). Collation is the fundamental tool of descriptive bibliography and is essential for the precise description of early books.
Condition Grading (Books)
The condition of a book is assessed across the binding, the text block, and the individual leaves. Standard condition terms used in the trade include: Fine (as new or nearly so, with no defects); Very Good (showing only light signs of use); Good (complete and sound but showing wear); Fair (complete but with significant wear or damage); Poor (defective or heavily worn). These terms are used inconsistently across the trade; a detailed description of specific condition points is more informative than a single grade. Key condition issues include: foxing (see the companion entry in the Glossary of Art, Prints, and Works on Paper), toning (the browning of paper due to acid content or light exposure), worming (damage by book worms), damp staining, and ink corrosion (iron gall ink eating through the paper from the inside).
Provenance (Books)
The documented ownership history of a book. Evidence of provenance in books takes many forms: bookplates (armorial or decorated labels pasted inside the front cover), ownership inscriptions, stamps, shelf marks, auction lot stickers, and booksellers’ tickets. Provenance from notable libraries — the Roxburghe, Spencer, Heber, or Mostyn collections, for example — adds significantly to the interest and value of a book and links it to the history of book collecting. Provenance inscriptions and bookplates should never be removed.
Uncut and Unopened
Uncut describes a book whose leaves have not been trimmed after binding, retaining the full original margins. Unopened describes a book whose conjugate leaves (pairs of leaves forming a fold) have not been separated along their folded edges, so that they remain as folded sheets. Uncut or unopened copies are valued as evidence of the book’s original state; their condition and the state of their edges are important considerations. Books described as ‘tall copies’ have unusually large margins, indicating that they were bound without trimming or with minimal trimming.
Maps: Production and Terminology
Cartouche
A decorative panel on a map, typically containing the title, scale, dedication, publisher’s imprint, or other textual information, enclosed within an ornamental border. The cartouche is often the most elaborately decorated element of an antique map and is a significant indicator of the map’s date, origin, and artistic quality. The form of the cartouche — from the strapwork of the late 16th century to the rococo shells and putti of the 18th century — is a useful dating tool. A damaged or defaced cartouche significantly reduces a map’s desirability.
Contemporary Colour
Colour applied to a map at or near the time of its publication, as distinct from later colouring. Contemporary colour — watercolour applied by specialist colourists working for the publisher or map seller — is significantly more desirable than later colouring, which may use inappropriate pigments, obscure printed detail, or be unevenly applied. The distinction between contemporary and later colour requires careful examination: contemporary colour typically shows the same degree of fading and foxing as the paper; later colour may appear fresher or may have been applied with less attention to the cartographic detail. Outline colour (borders and outlines only) and full colour (all land areas, seas, and decorative elements coloured) are distinct and differently valued.
Engraved Map
A map produced by the intaglio engraving process, in which the design is cut into a copper plate and printed by pressing dampened paper onto the inked plate. Engraved maps were the dominant cartographic medium from the mid-16th century until the early 19th century, when lithography began to supplant them. The quality of an engraved map is assessed by the crispness of the printing — indicating an early impression from a fresh plate — and by the evenness of the ink and the impression. Later impressions from worn plates show loss of fine detail and uneven inking.
Imprint
The publisher’s or printer’s information on a map, typically appearing within or below the cartouche, giving the name of the publisher or engraver, the place of publication, and the date. The imprint is a primary tool in dating and attributing a map; changes to the imprint between states of a plate allow the sequence of publication to be established. Many maps were published and republished over long periods with successive imprints reflecting changes of ownership; a map with an early imprint is typically more desirable than the same map with a later one.
Plate Wear
The deterioration of a copper engraving plate through repeated printing, visible in impressions as a loss of fine detail, a weakening of fine lines, and a general softening of the image. Plate wear is progressive and irreversible; heavily worn plates may be reworked by re-engraving lines, but reworked areas are typically distinguishable from original engraving by their character. Early impressions from fresh plates — showing sharp, even lines throughout, including in the fine detail of lettering and decorative work — are significantly more desirable than late impressions from worn plates.
State (Maps)
A distinct version of a map produced from a plate that has been altered between printings — by the addition of new information, the correction of errors, the change of the imprint, or the addition of decorative elements. States are documented in standard cartobibliographies and may vary significantly in rarity and desirability. The identification of states requires detailed comparison of copies and reference to specialist literature. In the context of maps, ‘first state’ does not necessarily mean ‘earliest impression’: a first-state impression may be printed on a worn plate if it was printed late in the plate’s life.
Principal Cartographic Traditions
Dutch Golden Age Cartography (c.1570–1700)
The dominant tradition in European map publishing from the late 16th to the late 17th century, centred on Amsterdam and Antwerp. The great Dutch publishing houses — Ortelius, Mercator, Blaeu, Jansson, and Hondius — produced atlases and wall maps of extraordinary quality, combining cartographic accuracy with decorative richness. Dutch Golden Age maps are characterised by their elaborate cartouches, their decorative borders of views and costume figures, their fine engraving, and the quality of their contemporary colouring. Blaeu’s Atlas Major (1662), in eleven folio volumes, represents the high point of the tradition. These maps are among the most widely collected of all antique maps.
English Cartography (c.1570–1850)
English map publishing developed from the late 16th century, with Christopher Saxton’s atlas of England and Wales (1579) establishing the tradition of county mapping that would dominate English cartography for three centuries. The principal figures of English cartography include Saxton, John Speed (whose Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain, 1611–12, introduced decorative town plans and battle scenes to county maps), John Ogilby (road maps, 1675), and the later county mappers Emanuel Bowen, Thomas Kitchin, and John Cary. English county maps are among the most popular collecting categories in British antique maps.
French Cartography (c.1600–1800)
French map publishing reached its peak in the late 17th and 18th centuries, when the French school of cartography — led by the Sanson family, Guillaume Delisle, Jean-Baptiste d’Anville, and the Desnos publishing house — set new standards of accuracy and scientific rigour. French maps of this period are characterised by their restraint and precision, with less decorative elaboration than Dutch Golden Age maps but greater cartographic accuracy. The maps of d’Anville in particular represent a major advance in the critical use of geographical sources.
Reference Works
ESTC (English Short Title Catalogue)
The English Short Title Catalogue is the standard bibliographic reference for books, pamphlets, and other printed material published in Britain and its dependencies from the beginning of printing to 1800, held in libraries worldwide. It is available online and is the essential starting point for the identification and description of early English books. A book’s ESTC number is a standard element of bibliographic description for works within its scope.
ODNB (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography)
The standard reference for biographical information on significant figures in British history, including authors, printers, publishers, and map makers. It is an essential supplement to purely bibliographic references for contextualising the significance of books and maps in the history of British culture and scholarship.
Wing and Pollard and Redgrave
The two standard short-title catalogues for early English books: Pollard and Redgrave’s Short-Title Catalogue (STC) covers 1475–1640; Wing’s Short-Title Catalogue covers 1641–1700. These catalogues assign reference numbers (STC numbers and Wing numbers) that are the standard identifiers for early English books within their periods. They have been substantially revised and expanded in their digital forms within the ESTC.
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