I'm going to write some of my Writing class essay outline on here, because I feel really open when I write on this blog... maybe it will help me get out what I'm actually thinking about the topic, not just what I want to say to sound 'intelligent' or whatever for my professor.... here goes:
My intro topic will discuss the history of bookmaking: from clay tablets, soft metals [Egypt, Mesopotamia]
--> papyrus [300BC in Alexandria, Egypt there was a library of 500,000 papyrus scrolls] ---> 4th C BC in Greece and Rome papyrus & wax tablets were used [hinged together to form a "codex" the first construction of a book] ---> Asia was very advanced in materials study for writing: to preserve their thoughts they used silk, palm leaves, birch bark, and stems of bamboo for scrolls [Chinese invented paper around 2nd C AD] ---> in Thailand bark was put together like an accordion for form a "book" [opened vertically and read horizontally] ---> 7th-12th C Islamic Empire flourished, when they learned of paper they became great writers and made huge centers of book production in Damascus and Baghdad --> the Koran [Muslim Bible, made aroung 651AD was beautifully decorated with borders and patterns called Arabesques], these copyists also began translations of the Greek philosopher Aristotle ---> Europe, Afrrica, and Asia for over 2,000 years used the skins of animals to preserve thoughts [sheep & goat skins were used first... made into sheets called parchment, it took 12 sheep to make 150page book] --> learned that calf's skin could make vellum ---> Native Americans used bison/buffalo skin to keep tribes' stories ---> Aztecs used deerskins, banded together to become several yards long ---> after the fall of the Roman Empire, Christian religion began to rise and the monasteries were main centers for producing high-quality books [great care was taken to write calligraphy on each page, ornate covers w/jewels & inlaid wood & leather; books were only for the wealthy during this time; the writer had an 'illuminator' would would illustrate what was happening in the text on that page so the reader could see the story unfolding] b/c of great care many of these books still exist today
Chinese are given credit for making paper: they would soak different mat'ls such as plants, straw, tree bark, and old fish nets in water then beat them into a pulp ---> the pulp was then poured and pressed then left out to dry ---> paper was slow to take-off b/c most people didnt read or write [but this must have been a good starting point b/c it wasnt a heavey burden on the people... rather than clay tablets that people would have probably used for other things during these times...]
So, why be concerned about the materials that are used to preserve books? Without proper materials, the preservation of the thoughts, dreams, and histories of people would be lost. It's not just about the price of these materials or their aesthetic values, but the fact that they are the main guardians of these thoughts and ideas. Even with the rise of the internet, CDs, videotapes, etc... bookmaking remains important because it is the most reliable form of recording & keeping thoughts, memories, dreams... CDs, videos, etc can all break and become irrevelant w/ the slightest scratch or drop of water... books, pages covered by different materials can survive small indecicies like these. Not to mention books are a tangible delight. Internet articles and the like are distant, they may have a mark showing who or where they came from, but this is a variable that can be untrue and the space created by sending things through the internet leaves one incapable of really knowing where the information has come from. Books have persisted with methods for labeling, organization and the like for centuries. They continue to persist through the introduction of new technologies and survive because of the resiliance afforded to them by the careful applications of select materials to protect the heart of what they contain.
When deciding how to record your thoughts... here are some good options for bookcover materials [the ones I am going to test]: plastic, fabric, and leather.
plastic - most common material avaibable now, easy to print colors and indentations, resists water and bending, can maintain true colors for a long time, shows scuffing/scratching, if the plastic is broken it will begin to fall off and reveal an inner layer of cardstock that doesn't resist water very well
COST: 18 fl. oz. net weight, 16-1/4 oz. aerosol can for $10.99 - $15.79 [1 bottle] approx. how many coatings?
fabric - texturally pleasing [like the clothes on our backs], can also choose diff colors, print diff colors, create indentations, won't crack and fall apart, depending on the strength/give of the fabric it could rip/tear/ or allow water to seep beyond it and into the cardstock beyond, resists scratches & scuffs, depending on the color - may show signs of stain, easily loses coloration if exposed to light/ rubbed by other books etc too much, can become fuzzy/ diff from original "feel" if rubbed against other things too much
COST: burlap [$2.99/yd joann's fabric], vinyl [$7.99 + /yd], muslin [$3.99 +/yd - plain/bleached]
leather - texturally most pleasing, soft & spongey, aggressive/sophistocated appearance upon its creation, it naturally works with bending/creasing [b/c it is somewhat elastic], but over time the leather can begin to wear away w/ too much bending, water damage, scratching, scuffing... after [? years] the leather deteriorates significantly and falls apart into leafy layers, exposing the pages in a ruffled mess
COST: 8.5'' x 11'' leather trim [$9.99 - 1 sheet]
[cost is somewhat difficult to assess by merely comparing books of these diff mat'ls b/c books are priced according to their significance that relates to their content, but the cost of obtaining these materials for the binding process is what is shown here]
http://www.articusstudiodesign.com/id41.html [this site shows "polyclay" binding material... hmm lol]
leather info:
Leather Covers
We use Top Grain cowhide, not 'splits' which are a cheaper grade of leather with an imitation surface rolled on. Some binderies use a spray on finish, however ours is drum dyed, which means that the color goes all the way through. The difference is a higher quality, longer lasting product. Leather is made from animal hide, which is skin. Each hide is unique in its markings and attributes, much like everyones skin is different and unique to them. The top layer of the hide is the toughest and most durable but also has small defects such as scratches from barbed wire, markings from brandings, or insect bites which have healed but are still slightly visible. If you see these slight imperfections, it means that you are getting Top Grain leather and these marks are an indication of authenticity. They do not weaken the leather.Tu
Turned-edge style covers have a cardboard backing which you would never see unless you tore the leather cover off. I have repaired books from other book binding companies that use a very inexpensive type of material. It works well for the first few months of use, however after extended use the leather has a tendency to either pull away from this inferior material or crack, thus causing the leather to wrinkle. I have found that spending a little more money on a special material made for this purpose adds years to the life and appearance of your book. This material flexes nicely with the leather and adheres superbly.
http://www.bookbind.net/category_s/2.htm
on plastic covers:
An improved method of making hard and semi-rigid book covers, and the product obtained, provides a multi-layer plastic book with any desired ratio of flexibility to stiffness in the different parts of the cover such as the front and back panels, the hinge lines and the backbone panel that connects the front and back panels. A first layer of plastic is cast or extruded on a casting paper or belt or other supporting surface, and additional plastic material is applied to the first layer over areas that will form the front and back panels, and to the backbone area if the desired cover is one that is to have a stiffened backbone panel. A second layer is applied under conditions that insure a highly effective bonding and freedom from distortion when a curing step is necessary. The operation is continuous and the laminate formed is severed into separate covers as it is delivered from the laminating operation.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3972764.html
With the choice of having only to choose from only hardcover books, which mat'l would most people prefer? [same cost... looking at aesthetics] plastic, fabric, leather? [poll online?] - plastic and fabric could have the same/similar coloration/ picture, leather would be different simpler]]
Topic 1: what happens to the mat'ls over time/ due to damage
Topic 2: costs
Topic 3: aesthetics, what do people perfer & why? [rarity? texture? imagery/colors?]
why was writing invented?
b/c the memory could not store all man's thoughts/dreams/stories
why were paper mat'ls developed?
light/easy to transport/store, could quickly be made [unlike clay tablets etc]
why are the binding mat'ls important?
they preserve the print/heart of the book from the elements, like a shelter protects a living human
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