Speaking Volumes: Publishers’ Bindings in English-Canada 1870-1920
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Authors
Bell, Kim
Date
2020-07-09
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
Publishers' Bindings , James Barry , Lorne Pierce , Print Culture , 19th Century Bookbindings , John Lovell
Alternative Title
Abstract
The nineteenth century saw a significant shift in how books were produced. Industrialization and the emergence of a mass reading public, whose members also had increased leisure time and money, led to the need for less expensive books than those bound by individual readers. Publishers’ bindings, the specific design created to address this need, also created the modern book, the book as we know it today. These bindings flourished in Britain and the United States between 1820 and 1920, but not in Canada.
This thesis will argue that while publishers’ bindings were not as extensive in English Canada between 1870 and 1920 as they were in Britain and the United States, they did exist, as evident in the three case studies: the individual binder James Barry, the businessman John Lovell, and the collection created by Lorne Pierce. Canada, to be sure, experienced the same changes that led to the need for less expensive books in Britain and the United States. Full of potential, a few circumstances unique to Canada nevertheless frustrated and delayed the development of a significant book publishing industry for several decades. Given the state of Canadian publishing circa the 1870s, Canadian authors were forced to seek external publishing outlets for their work. This, in turn limited the need for publishing innovations. Additionally, copyright laws provided further roadblocks to the publishing business in Canada, and subsequently affected the development of a national industry able to match the quantity and quality of its British and American counterparts. Through the use of three case studies, we will see that nonetheless bookbinders and publishers alike sought creative ways to circumvent the challenges and produce these uniform bindings.
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ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
CC0 1.0 Universal