[Binding dummy for] Oratoria Argentina (Library of Congress sample binding to demonstrate a material and style)

Washington DC: Library of Congress. Very Good. N.D.. First Edition. Hardcover. This volume wholeheartedly confirms the old adage that "you can't judge a book by its cover. But, just to confuse the issue, it was designed and made to be so judged. The spine has a label lettered in gilt on a red leather label, reading: "CARRANZA / ORATORIA / ARGENTINA" Below this is an oval stamp lettered in black: "Library of Congress / Smithsonian Deposit." Below this, at the foot of the spine, also lettered in black: "LA PLATA y Bo. ARIES / 1905." These details do indeed belong to a real book published by the firm of Sesé y Larrañaga Editores -- in the cities of La Plata and Buenos Aries, Argentina. This book was edited by Neptalí Carranza under the title: "Oratoria Argentina : Recopilación cronológica de las proclamas, discursos, manifiestos y documentos importantes, que legaron a la historia de su patria, argentinos célebres, desde el año 1810 hasta 1904." It has become a standard compilation and we would be pleased to have a copy to offer. Yet, we can guarantee that the volume being offered in this listing does not contain even so much as one single leaf of Carranza's ""Oratoria Argentina." All the many leaves sturdily bound in our volume are blank. The only writing of any sort within is typewritten on a smaller sheet tipped to the front free endpaper -- which explains all. The heading: "LIBRARY OF CONGRESS / BINDING EXHIBIT." / DUCK ("CALENDARED" -- [sic, for "CALENDERED"). "Used for a book not in popular demand, but requiring a strong binding on account of its size and weight. Used extensively for the large volumes of current bound newspapers." To make this binding sample a suitable demonstration of appropriate material, style and workmanship for a heavy volume, this large octavo measures 6-1/2" x 10" and weighs 5 pounds, 3 ounces [2.345 kilos -- all the high-quality paper contained within these calendered duck covers is coated]. As their annual reports will quantify, the Library of Congress spends a fortune on bookbinding. We have seen thousands of examples, especially the deep red buckram which is still being used for the books expected to have to endure serious wear during decades of use. Most of those have identifications or "tickets" of the binding firms which made them - especially volumes bound during the 20th century. But there is none for this sample dummy volume. Perhaps it was made "in house" at the LC? Our binding was certainly made well before the LC created an entire Division devoted to the matter [Binding and Collections Care Division]. Cotton Duck (from the Dutch word "doek", meaning linen canvas) is still widely used for book binding. "Calendering" refers to processing fabric through rollers under considerable heat and pressure to smooth, coat, or thin the material. .