MODERN DECORAT I! E

T IT LE PAGES

GEO . A . QTEPHEN,F.L.A .

C ity L ib rarian, Norw ich !S ilver Medallist , Royal Society of Arts !Mem b er of the Book Production Comm ittee

of the L ib rary Associat ion !Au th or of Comm ercial Bookb inding, etc.

REPRINTED FROM ! PENROSE’S PICTORIAL ANNUAL,

19 14-1 5 .

LONDON

A . W . PENROSE 5: co .,LTD .

191 5 .

Fig . 1 1 .

Des ign b y CHA RLE SBloc/cs k indly loaned by ! . M . Dent (3 S ons , Ltd .

Fig. 6

Design by W ILLIAM BLA ! E

Block suppli ed by courtesy ofB . T. Batsford

MODERN DECORAT I! E

T ITLE PAGES

B! GEO . A . STEPHEN,F.L.A .

(Ci ty Librarian, Norwich, author of Commercial Bookbinding, etc.)

OTHING can be plainer, as a rule, than amodern English title-page,

! wrote the lateAndrew Lang in hi s collection of essaysentitled Books and Bookmen, which hepublished about twenty-seven years ago !but nous avons chang! tout cela, anddecorative title-pages are an importantfeature of certain classes of books publi shed at the present time . Decorati vetitle-pages date back almost to

of printi ng, the earliest known specimen being theprinted by Bernard Pictor, Peter Loeslein and Erhard Ratdolt, at! enice, in 1476, which is ornamented with a woodcut border.During the succeeding centuries decorative title-pages passedthrough many vi cissitudes, the ornament, sometimes restri ctedand sometimes exceedingly elaborated, being effected by meansof wood-engraving, copper or steel

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engraving, etching, a combination of etchi ng and engraving, or the modern processes ofline—engraving, half-tone, three and four-colour, etc .The design and execution of some of the earlier title-pages

made them veritable works of art, and thus vandals were led toextract and collect title-pages for the sake of the engravings .Al though works of art in themselves, there was generally noartistic relation of type and ornament throughout the wholebook . The harmony b etween text and illustration is traceableto the influence of the work of William Blake, the poet, seerand artist of the latter part of the eighteenth century, who hadB 1 7

a contempt for purely mechanical processes, and therefore wrotewith his own hand the text of his poem s, and decorated thepages . In John Sampson

’s introduction to the Oxford edi tionof Blake’s poetical works, published last year, it is stated thatby far the greater num ber of Blake’s works were produced bya process of his own discovery which he termed Illum inatedPrinting ! In this process,

’ says the writer, the text andsurrounding pictorial embellishments were executed in reversein some species of varnish upon copper plates, which were

afterwards etched m a bath of acid until the whole design stoodin relief as on a stereotype . From these plates impressionswere printed in various schemes of monochrome, and afterwards delicately tinted by the arti st in washes of water-colour ,each copy thus possessing an individuality of its own .

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The

seed sown by Blake was nurtured by William Morris—man ofletters, craftsman and socialist—and brought to fruition by abrilliant band of decorators, ornamentists and high-class printers,who have reali! ed that Books are the windows through whichthe soul looks out,

! and who have endeavoured to provide aworthy setting for an author’s best work . The publisher’spresent general practice of commissioning one artist to decoratethe interior and exterior of a book has had a most salutoryeffect in securing harmony in the decorative scheme, and it isnow reiterating a trui sm to say that book-decoration has reacheda high state of perfection.

The di versity of the designs of modern decorati ve titlepages is due to the numerous book-illustrators engaged intheir production, to the extensive field afforded them by reasonof the variety in the purport, style and si ! e of books, and to thedifferent mechanical processes used in printing them . One

naturally expects an artist, when designing a title-page, torecognise the rectangular character of the page, to consider thesi! e of the lettering in relation to the si! e of the page, and thecharacter of the lettering in relation to the type used for thebook . One cannot, however, expect a rigid adherence to thecanons of one man, because of the di verse work of the innumer

able artists engaged in book-illustration ! nevertheless, theopinion of Walter Crane, as expressed in his book entitled

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Of the Decoration of Books, Old and New, is worth quoting.

His ! iew is that a decorative end-paper should be delicatelysuggestive of the character and contents of the book ! it maybe considered as a kind of quadrangle, forecourt, or even agarden or grass plot before the door . Having passed the end

paper and read the half-title we are supposed to pass on

Fig. 1

Design by ARTHUR RAC! HAM

Courtesy of Constable <5» Co Ltd .

with somewhat bated breath until we come to the double doors,

and the front and full title are disclosed in all their splendour .

Even here, though, the whole secret of the book should not belet out, but rather played with or suggested in a symbolic way,especially in any ornament on the title-page, in which thelettering should be the chief ornamental feature . A frontis

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piece may be more pictorial in treatment if desired, and it isreasonable to occupy the whole of the type page both for thelett ering of title and the picture in the front ! then, if richnessof effect is desired, the margin may be covered also almost tothe edge of the paper by enclosing borders v arying accordingto the varying width of the paper margin, and m the same

Design by CHR ISTOPHE R HARE

Courtesy of ! . M. Dent 6 Sons, Ltd.

proportions, recto and verso as the case may be, the broad sideturning outwards to the edge of the book each way.

The designs of ornamental title-pages may be broadlyclassified into si! groups . Mr . G. Woolli scroft Rhead in hi se! cellent book on Modern Practical Design (published in 19 12)has succinctly summari! ed four groups or systems 1 . The

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lettering may be enclosed with in a border more or less elaborateei ther on the symmetrical or unsymmetrical system . 2 . It maybe placed on a scroll, tablet, cartouche or other ornamentaldevice, the field being filled with either an all-over

fpattern,

or a more or less naturalistic arrangement of plant orm orfigures, the scroll, tablet, etc ., serving the purpose of separating

Fig. 3

Des igned by G . W OOLLI SCROFT RHEAD

Courtesy of B . T . Batsford

the lettering from the ornamental portion . 3. The letteringmay be incorporated with the design without any such separatingdevices, as in the extremely naive title-page for Blake

’s Songsof Innocence (Fig. 4 . The title-page may be a combination of lettering, border and enclosing picture or otherdevice. In all cases, the decorative motif of the design should

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be appropriate, and whenever possible should suggest thecharacter of the book . In addition to these groups the presentwriter ventures to add two others, via , the title-pages whichhave a publisher’s ornamental device, and those that are purelypictorial in character .

The pleasing specimen of a title-page placed within a borderMr . Rhead

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s first-named style—is the title-page (Fig. 1 ) of theediti on ofGrimm’s Fairy Tales, illustrated by Arthur Rackham,

and publi shed by Messrs . Constable 8: Co. in 1909, by whosecourtesy it is reproduced . Probably the work of no bookillustrator at the present day has met with so much genuineappreciation by !uveni les and children of a larger growthas that of Arthur Rackham . The border of the title-pageselected for illustrati on, whi ch is composed of elves, birds andanimals intertwined, and terminati ng in a scroll for the publisher

’s name, e! h ibits his rich vein of hum our and phantasy

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and gives a foretaste of the delightful tales and the finely-e! ecuted illustrations in the book . The calligraphic lettering isprinted in red and black, and harmonises well with the border,the three lines in red imparting a di gnified and rich effect .By kind permission of Messrs . J. M . Dent Sons an

illustration is given of the title-page of The Story of Bayard(Fig. retold by Christopher Hare, printed in red and black,which has a simple but effective border. The flaming heartalternating with the fleur-de-lys, and the crossed swords are allsymbolic of the French knight of the Middle Ages whosechivalrous life is told in the volume .The title-page of Mr . Rhead’

s book, from which his classificati on of title-pages has been quoted, serves as an admirablespecimen of his second class . By kind consent of the publisher,Mr . B. T . Batsford, a reproduction is given (Fig. It willbe noticed that the designer has placed the lettering, includingthe publisher’s monogram, in a scroll to separate it from theornamental portion—a pomegranate tree having its roots in theground, throwing out branches and bearing fruit, being symboli c of the book and its various parts .A second example of a title-page in this class is that designed

by Garth Jones for the edition of Thomas De Q uincey’s

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Confessions of an Opium Eater, at one time published by Messrs .George Newnes, Ltd., and now published by Messrs . SimpkinMarshall, Ltd ., by whose kind permission it is reproduced

(Fig. This design is typical of the imaginative work ofGarth Jones, one of the group of artists who collectively formthe Carlton Studi o, who stands in the front rank of moderndecorative illustrators . The title is prominent in the tabletforming part of the appropriate architectural design ! the leanprostrate figure with drawn features, as a result of intensesuffering, and the skulls are very suggestive of the opium habitto whi ch De Q uincey was addicted .

The title-page of the edi tion de luxe of Longfellow’s GoldenLegend, illustrated by Sidney ard, and publisMessrs . Hodder Stoughton, by whose courtesy it is reproduced (Fig. is another example of this class, the designbeing frankly suggestive of the striking dram atic poem whichembodies Longfellow’s conception of Christianity in the MiddleAges . Prince Henry’s allusion to the immortal roses brought toSt . Cecilia’s bridal chamber, and the subsequent dialogue betweenhim and Elsie provide the motif of the design. These two, theprincipal characters, are prominently portrayed in the design,and at the base is the Latin couplet chanted by the pilgrims .The triple enclosures clearly display the title of the book andthe names of the author, illustrator and publisher ! and thewhole design, being printed in gold, is very rich and effective .Examples illustrating the third class, of which the title-page

of Willi am Blake’s Songs of Innocence (Fig. already referredto, are not very comm on . In this e! ample, reproduced by thekindness of Mr . B. T . Batsford, who provided the block, theauthor-designer has portrayed two ch ildren at their mother’sknee—symbolic of innocence—while the lettering is intermingledwith the branches of the tree of knowledge .Were it not for the border one might perhaps include in

this class the accomplished and elaborate title-page (Fig.

of Messrs . George Allen Sons’ sumptuous edition ofEdmund Spenser’s epoch-making poem The Faerie Q ueene, insix volum es, decorated by Walter Crane, the precursor of aprolific school of decorative illustrators . However, as there is

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a bold border it must be classified in group four . The workof illustrating this great allegory was a most congenial one forWalter Crane, his abilities being admirably suited to its pictorialrepresentation in his autobiographical work, An Artist

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Reminiscences, he states that The Faerie Q ueene had long beenknown to him and that he had cherished a dream to illustrate it .Throughout the work there are numerous full-page designs,decorative initials, chapter headings and page terminations ortail pieces, in which the artist has endeavoured to embodythe extraordinarily rich invention and complexity of much ofhi s !Spenser

’s! allegory, with its historic, mythical, and classicalillusions

,as well as to depict the incidents and characters of the

story .

! In the title-page the designer has treated the two pagesas a decorative whole, the title of the book, intermingled withthe foliage of an oak tree, forming a panel on the verso page, thesub-title and other lettering, intermingled with the foliage of alaurel tree, forming a panel on the recto page . In the fancifulborders the sub!ects of the si! books of the poem are typified,and the virtues are heraldically treated . The work of thi sundertaking extended over three years, and on the completionof the designs on January 3rd, 1 897, the designer expressed hisfeelings in the following stan! a

Great Spenser’s noble rhyme have I essayedTo picture, striving still, as faithful squyre,

Each faerie knight to serve, in armes arrayde’Gainst salvage force, and deathful dragons dire,Or Blatant Beast with poisonous tongues of fire !

To limn the Lion mylde with Una fayre,The false Duessa, and the Warlike Mayd .

Be Bolde,’ I read, and did this emprise dare,

And now the door is oped, so let the masque forth fare.The plan of treating the two pages as a decorati ve whole is

one to whi ch William Morris was partial, the title-page and firstpage of The Gli ttering Plain being a typical example of hisexquisite work . It was natural,

! he said, that I, a decoratorby profession

,should wish to find suitable decoration for my

books .! By the kindness of William Morris’ trustees

,the first

opening of the book is reproduced (Fig. In this example26

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reproduction of the design. In this example the ornamentation consists of a combination of four figures suggestive of thetitles of the plays, indicated on the scrolls, supported by thepublisher’s devices—a dolphin, an anchor and a bell, the latterbeing also emblemati c of the publisher’s name.Finally there are the title-pages which may be described

ND OTHER

US SELLBFLINTG

G.BELL 8 SONSJ J P19 10

Fig. 10

Des ign by W . RUSSELL FLINT

Cour tesy of G. Bell (Sn Sons

as pictorial ! these frequently depict an important scene, or oneor more of the prominent characters in the book . A typical titlepage of this class is th at of C . Collodi’s P inocchio (publishedbyMessrs . J.M . Dent Sons), i llustrated at Fig. 1 1 , which is thework of Charles Folkard

,an excellent artist whose charm ing

illustrations have enh anced many books . In this example the

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artist,who throughout the book has caught the spirit of this quaintand delightful Italian fairy story

,has chosen one of the incidents

in the story of the puppet Pinocchio, and has portrayedcharge ofHarlequin and Punchinello on the stage of thetheatre . This title-page, printed by the three-colour process—an

Fig . 12

Design by W ALTE R CRANECourtesy of G . Bell 6 » Sons

additional attraction for chi ldren—will make a strong appeal tothe !uveni le mind, and prepare them for the imagination ,e! cellent humour and pathos of the book .

It may not be inappropriate to label as a pictorial titlepage the charming and appr0priate title-page of Walter Crane

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Ideals in Art, published by Messrs . George Bell 8: Sons,who have kindly permitted its reproducti on (Fig. The

artist, to illustrate his Ideal,! has portrayed a fair lady holding

the lamp of truth and of inspiration, and at her feet are theartist’s palette and instruments, and laurels she is ascendingto a visioned temple of beauty. When one contemplates theGreek lamp, the laurel—the tree sacred to Apollo—the Greektemple, and the design generally, one cannot but think that theartist had thoughts ofAthene, the Greek Goddess of ! nowledgeand of the Arts, who personified the clear air as well as mentalclearness and acuteness . Not only is the varied work of WalterCrane always interesting, but hi s fascinating books on art anddesign, and hi s volume of Reminiscences will repay attentivestudy, and will convince the reader that this original artist hasindeed Ideals in Art .

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The block s i llustrat ing th i s article w ere made by th e Direct Ph oto-Engraving Cc . , Ltd .

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R I N T Icom b ined wi th

E R ! I

N enormous amount of money is spent annuallyon printed matter, which does not pay foritself.

(J The reason is, it fails to attract those who are

your likely customers .

(ll We have studied the artistic side of printing fornumber of years and are constantly producing neat

and attractive printing which is an absolute necessityto modern business .

(l May we use the resources and e! perience at ourcommand, to be of service to you.

(l Write us , stating your wishes, and we shall bepleased at all times to help you.

Pe r c y Lu n d , H u m p h r i e s6! Cc .. L td .

THE COUNTR ! PR ES S . BRA DFORD

J 3. A MEN CORNER . LONDON 4