Gebrochene Rücken: University Press Dummy

Might as well share this. This is the final Gebrochene Rücken bookbinding project, all from the same dismantled UNIVERSITY PRESS copy of The Silmarillion (1977). The three previous project write-ups—for rebinds of AKALLABÊTH, QUENTA, and the INDEX—can be found here:

 

Gebrochene Rücken: Peter D. Verheyen Edelpappband-Style Quenta Rebind (i)

Gebrochene Rücken: Quarter-Vellum Akallabêth Rebind (ii)

Gebrochene Rücken: Tight-Back Silmarillion Index Rebind (iii)

 

In the first Gebrochene Rücken post I stated that this ‘one copy of The Silmarillion has now become three separate bookbinding projects. And with pp. 1–32 still unused, a fourth project—a mock dummy book perhaps?—is still a possibility’. Well, here it is, Part 4. 

 

From a bookbinding perspective, this project brought together nothing new or particularly interesting; this is squarely in gimmick territory. I will keep exposition to a minimum; see previous Gebrochene Rücken posts for more detailed bookbinding explanation and discussion.

 

DUMMY (b. 2025)

 

UNIVERSITY PRESS bound their copies of The Silmarillion in 32-page gatherings; the first gathering—the last gathering remaining from this project—was perfect for the creation of a Silmarillion dummy book.

 

For this project I used a pre-sewn book-block (blank) from RATCHFORD; these are sewn and glued (and spine lined) signatures. After some minor gathering repairs and strengthening (and trimming), the remaining 32-page gathering was sewn into the front of the book-block, using the spine lining already present.

 

After solid edge treatment—top page-edge dyed blue—I then added endbands (head and tail) and further lined the spine with mull and kraft paper, thus creating the structure for the attachment of the case. The case was then made, as usual, off-book; the cloth board covering and card spine stiffener executed in a manner similar to the original case.

 

Case and page-block were then brought together; a mock “temporary” jacket was added with typed lettering. I also made another un-lettered, rougher looking blue jacket, which can perhaps be discerned (underneath the kraft paper jacket) in some of the images.

 

The hoax is finished with a mock printer’s worksheet—inspired by that BCA ‘file copy’—pasted on to the front endpaper, plus a few other bits of ephemerae.

 

With a little more care, I could perhaps have ensured all four Gebrochene Rücken books were of equal (or near equal) height—even accounting for trimming and individual slipcases—allowing for the possibility of creating one slipcase to house all four projects together. But, alas, I didn't (thankfully) think of this when I first began; I was never a great fan of the HARPERCOLLINS slipcases-in-slipcase releases.

 

Also on SILMARILLION MINUTIAE

❆ Gebrochene Rücken [LABEL]

❆ For People Who Cannot Read the Pictures

❆ How Beautifully Your Bindings Open!