Book cover with overall dash design 1800 - 1900

Curator: Here we have a rather unusual piece, an anonymous book cover dating back to the 19th century. It’s currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My immediate impression is almost industrial! That repeated dash pattern, combined with the faded, earthy tones, gives it a gritty, almost metallic texture. Curator: It's interesting you say that, given the decorative arts context. This object demonstrates that bookbinding was not solely the domain of simple utility, but an avenue for design experimentation, accessible even at the level of mass production. The dashed lines remind one of the tread on some industrial material. Editor: Exactly! Looking closer, I am really interested in the materiality. It looks to be a collage of paper and perhaps some sort of printed material—though faded. What printing or manufacturing processes would have been available to create such a cover? Curator: Good question! The printing of repetitive patterns on paper was quite common in that era. Mass production depended increasingly on a rising consumer society hungry for decoration. This object can be thought of as one element in the rising tide of books entering social life at every level. Editor: I think it's important to recognize too the subtle ways in which craft and labor were invested in items considered commonplace—even those generated for wider distribution. It gives new respect for the processes of manual work during those eras and prior. Curator: Certainly. And beyond mere craftsmanship, one cannot ignore the economics around art production and availability: access to beautiful things helps us reflect on larger notions around power, cultural transmission, or just social dynamics between people back then and even now! Editor: I'm glad we looked beyond its immediate, somewhat aged surface. Who knew that so much could be found in such a modest, practical, printed matter? Curator: Absolutely; hopefully we’ve given people a reason to appreciate this little cover from the 1800s with entirely new eyes.