Dos-à-dos binding
Encyclopedia
In bookbinding
, a dos-à-dos binding (from the French meaning "back-to-back") is a binding structure in which two separate books are bound together such that the fore edge of one is adjacent to the spine of the other, with a shared lower board between them serving as the back cover of both. When shelved, the spine of the book to the right faces outward, while the spine of the book to the left faces the back of the shelf; the text of both works runs head-to-tail.
The dos-à-dos format dates back at least to the 16th century, though they were most common in England was in the first half of the 17th century. Two books frequently bound in this form were the New Testament and Psalter, presumably because both were needed during church services. Regardless of content, the outer boards of dos-à-dos bindings were usually embroidered, or covered with leather and then finished
with gold.
One example is Irvin S. Cobb
's Oh! Well! You Know How Women Are! bound dos-à-dos with Mary Roberts Rinehart
's Isn't That Just Like a Man!, as published by George Doran in 1920.
The tête-bêche format has been used for devotional books since the nineteenth century, and possibly earlier.
It has also been used, for example, to bind two-way language dictionaries, and even for novels.
An example is The Loving Couple: His (and Her) Story, a 1956 bestselling novel by Patrick Dennis
. Here, the books are first-person accounts of a rocky marriage, one narrated by the husband, the other by the wife.
The format became much more widely known in the 1950s, when Ace Books
began to publish its Ace Doubles. This was a line of tête-bêche genre paperbacks that ran from 1952 until the early 1970s. The Ace Doubles binding was considered innovative, if somewhat gimmicky, at the time; the 18 October 1952 issue of Publishers Weekly
describes it as a "trick format."
Bookbinding
Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block.-Origins of the book:...
, a dos-à-dos binding (from the French meaning "back-to-back") is a binding structure in which two separate books are bound together such that the fore edge of one is adjacent to the spine of the other, with a shared lower board between them serving as the back cover of both. When shelved, the spine of the book to the right faces outward, while the spine of the book to the left faces the back of the shelf; the text of both works runs head-to-tail.
The dos-à-dos format dates back at least to the 16th century, though they were most common in England was in the first half of the 17th century. Two books frequently bound in this form were the New Testament and Psalter, presumably because both were needed during church services. Regardless of content, the outer boards of dos-à-dos bindings were usually embroidered, or covered with leather and then finished
Finishing (bookbinding)
In bookbinding, finishing refers to the process of decorating the outside of a book, including the lettering of the spine and covers, any additional tooling, and any inlays and onlays...
with gold.
One example is Irvin S. Cobb
Irvin S. Cobb
Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb was an American author, humorist, and columnist who lived in New York and authored more than 60 books and 300 short stories.-Biography:...
's Oh! Well! You Know How Women Are! bound dos-à-dos with Mary Roberts Rinehart
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Mary Roberts Rinehart was an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie. She is considered the source of the phrase "The butler did it", although she did not actually use the phrase. She is considered to have invented the "Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing...
's Isn't That Just Like a Man!, as published by George Doran in 1920.
Tête-bêche
The term dos-à-dos is also used often, though incorrectly, to refer to a single volume in which two texts are bound together, with one text rotated 180° relative to the other, such that when one text runs head-to-tail, the other runs tail-to-head. This type of binding is properly termed tête-bêche (from the French meaning "head-to-toe"). Books bound in this way have no back cover, but instead have two front covers and a single spine with two titles. When a reader reaches the end of the text of one of the works, the next page is the (upside-down) final page of the other work. These volumes are also referred to as "upside-down books" or "reversible books."The tête-bêche format has been used for devotional books since the nineteenth century, and possibly earlier.
It has also been used, for example, to bind two-way language dictionaries, and even for novels.
An example is The Loving Couple: His (and Her) Story, a 1956 bestselling novel by Patrick Dennis
Patrick Dennis
Patrick Dennis was an American author. His novel Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade was one of the bestselling American books of the 20th century. In chronological vignettes "Patrick" recalls his adventures growing up under the wing of his madcap aunt, Mame Dennis...
. Here, the books are first-person accounts of a rocky marriage, one narrated by the husband, the other by the wife.
The format became much more widely known in the 1950s, when Ace Books
Ace Books
Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
began to publish its Ace Doubles. This was a line of tête-bêche genre paperbacks that ran from 1952 until the early 1970s. The Ace Doubles binding was considered innovative, if somewhat gimmicky, at the time; the 18 October 1952 issue of Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
describes it as a "trick format."