The Art of Dust Jackets

The timeless appeal of book-jacket designs ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ [Logo]( [Detail of Walden's cover]( There's a famous saying about not judging a book by its cover, but let's admit it—we do judge a book by its appearance. That's why book covers and dust jackets have long been a showcase of artistic quality and a reflection of evolving art movements. The modern-style dust jacket was first introduced in the 1830s–although possibly earlier. Nevertheless, dust jackets prior to WWI were typically just disposable paper intended to protect the covers of a book. After the war, the typical nature of dust jackets is transformed to become an intrinsic part of the work; a medium for expressing the contents of the story and for catching the eye of book buyers in shops. [This art form fully blossomed during the decades from 1920 to 1970.]( As most collectors are aware, a dust jacket in fine condition can greatly enhance the value of a book. Indeed, for modern first editions, a book without the dust jacket will sell for only a fraction of the price. For example, the first edition of The Great Gatsby with the original jacket can be found priced at $200,000 and higher, while the book alone is near-fine/fine condition can be found priced under $10,000. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiel Hammett is a another example of a book that is priced much differently with an original jacket–around a $100,00 difference! [A Brief History of the Dust Jacket]( [THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED]( Moreover, dust jackets have become an important source of knowledge. Instead of featuring just a printed title, publishers began including book synopses and author biographies.Today, as many authors from the first half of the 20th century fallen into obscurity or become unknown, their biographical information is preserved on these dust jackets. Interestingly, there was a brief period in the 1940s when paperbacks were also printed in dust jackets. As the 20th century progressed, the once-disposable dust jacket became an essential component of the book industry. [The Importance of Dust Jackets]( [Brave New World by Aldous Huxley]( [See All Copies]( [A street car named desire]( [See All Copies]( [The Catcher in the Rye]( [See All Editions]( [The Maltese Falcon by Dashiel Hammett]( [See All Editions]( [Time Was Away]( [To The Books]( [A Book of Mediterranean Food]( [To The Books]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [X.com]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Biblio.com · PO Box 1211 · Asheville, NC 28802 · USA