Books Through Their Pages

Welcome to Books Through Their Pages!

Beginning with some of the vivid terminology used to define book anatomy, this exhibit progresses with a series of slideshows that survey structural and decorative elements of books from Tulane’s library collections. By no means comprehensive, this exhibit offers an introduction to historic and contemporary book structures through a collaboration between librarianship and conservation.

If you click on the small (i) icon in the top left of each image, you’ll find a citation and a link — this information will take you to the object’s digital surrogate, if there is one, and to the catalog record with information on how to access it in person. Clicking on an image within each slideshow will expand it, allowing you to view each example in full. Many of these books are in  Tulane University Special Collections or the Latin American Library , and can be viewed by appointment. Others are from the circulating collections and can be checked out of the  Howard-Tilton Memorial Library . 

Use the swipe arrow on the book images below to reveal the parts of a codex — a book that is bound on one side, its spine. The codex became the dominant book structure by the end of the 6th century largely for practical reasons: the bound book was much easier to handle, read, and store than its unwieldy predecessor, the  scroll . Attesting to its engineering genius, the bound codex continues to thrive centuries after its birth.

A sheet is folded in half to create a single folio, or two leaves. A leaf is comprised of two pages: one verso and one recto. As seen in the books featured here, even a basic concept such as the page can illuminate histories and take on complex meaning depending on where, when, why, and how a sheet was formed.

Since the inception of the codex, the cover of a book has held importance, serving as both the protective guardian of its textblock as well as its aesthetic face. Plain or ornamented, leather or cloth-covered, the outer coverings of books are just as important as the pages they protect. This section explores notable materials used in the covering of books throughout the last few centuries.

Since the first gathering of folios was stacked together to make a signature, sewing has played an important role in the engineering of books. Whether tacketed together with leather thongs, sewn with linked stitches or over cords, or automated with a machine, sewing creates the tension, swell, and  connectivity that brings pages of books together .

Books are not only repositories and transmitters of information – they have a long history of using decoration to convey ideas of value, status, and beauty. The following images highlight popular decorative techniques, showing the wide variety of methods and artistry that have contributed to the aesthetic importance of books throughout history.

Throughout the history of the book, frugality and innovation have left fascinating marks of provenance hiding in various parts of book-bindings. A close look reveals details of context and use present in these bits and scraps – a sort of “historical lagniappe!”

We hope you enjoyed this sampling of the books and manuscripts found in Tulane’s  library  collections. Discover more about books and their history by exploring the resources below.