Book Trade Labels

I've always loved books — they're the reason that I became interested in graphic design as a profession. To design books, own a bookstore and, most recently, to publish my first UPPERCASE book... these are all dreams come true.

Here's a link to an excellent site detailing one tiny aspect of book culture: the book trade label.

"Anyone who handles old books will have come across these small and sometimes beautiful labels pasted more or less discreetly into the endpapers. Publishers, printers, binders, importers, distributors and sellers of books -- new, second-hand and antiquarian -- used to advertise in this way their contribution to bringing the book to market."

I'm compelled to design a small label for the books we sell at UPPERCASE. I'll post the results here.