A History of Inventions, Discoveries, and Origins. 4th ed.

1846

Shoults Eb 1846 B

London: H. G. Bohn

In 1846, Henry Bohn started the first of his many Libraries series publications, initially priced at 3s 6d per volume. Printing so many copies of each title meant adopting a new process for binding. Case binding is where the covers (or case) of a book are pre-made. The text-block, produced independent of this process, was attached to the covers by glue. Although initially a hand-operation, it led to mass production. So, gone were the unique hand-made bindings, the laced cords that ran through the boards, and the individually tooled cover designs. Bohn’s ‘Standard Library’ titles were distinctive in their sameness: block stamped patterned covers, with an occasional variation in colour.