Exhibit:
This is an edition of the Rubáiyát that caught my eye due to the simple, standard nature of it. Many editions had a gimmick, or a way to catch your eye, beause they were intended to be given as gifts. My edition, marked as edition #78, was a gift book, as we'll get into, but it almost seems to be a study edition the way it is bound as almost a journal.
This edition is missing soe information. The date of publication is unknown, but we know its in the 1900's. The publisher is New York, Sully and Kleintech, a company that was active into the 21st century, so no date can be given.
Visually, the edition looks like a notebook. It is brown and leather bound, and has a touch that is similar to old time journals in that it is dry and sandy but also leather and clearly a soft material. It is a soft cover book, but has a sturyd bind. The pages are the most unique thing about it- they are urrounded by red flowe patterns. These patterns strike me as what we learned in class, Orientalism. It hows a garden idea that trys to show tranquility and relaxation, all things publishers tried to convey for the American audience. This is why it is obvious it's a gift book- despite not having many pictures as we'll discuss, the nature of an idealized midde eastern setting and visual appeal make it so that someone flipping through the book would see it and think it's good to give to someone. As alluded to, this nook has very few pictures. It really only has one picture, which is an interesting one because it is taped into the book and not on a page. It shows a women with a scarf over her head and a man in a turban on a carpet under a dtree in a sandy area, and that is orientalism. These scenes are not described in the Rubáiyát but are in the area Omar Khayyám was in and are only for the purpose of setting a vibe. Again, despite the scholarly look, this shows that it is a gift book, because it is not accurate. It is 40 pages and each has lines on it.
It is a first edition translation.
The defining feeling of this book is simplicity. I think it's a good thing, and it's why it stuck out to me. Each edition is trying to dosomething unique, and this book's uniqueness is its standard look. I especially like how the lines are easy to read and the borders are enjoyable to look at but don't distract.