LOA Color Coding?

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LOA Color Coding?

1ptdixon
Mar 22, 2010, 4:18 pm

This may be a question for David, or anyone else that happens to know. How are the volumes color coded? I notice that some of the volumes are different colors and was curious if there was any logic to it.

Everyman Library color codes based on date (see http://www.randomhouse.com/knopf/classics/about.html for more info on that), and I was wondering if LOA was using a similiar logic or if it was something different?

2euphorb
Mar 22, 2010, 5:36 pm

That's a good question, though I can't say I've ever thought of it before. In addition to Everyman's Library, the Great Books of the Western World also uses a color coding system based on subject matter (roughly, tan = literature; green = science; red = religion and philosophy; and blue = social sciences). I haven't been able to discern any pattern, however, to the colors used for LOA volumes.

3DCloyceSmith
Editado: Mar 23, 2010, 12:22 pm

It's a closely held secret: There is in fact no scheme to the color scheme.

I can't speak for my predecessors, but I've "chosen" the colors for the last ten years, and the primary considerations have been (1) break up the colors for contiguous authors/titles when the volumes are alphabetized on the shelf (and try to keep additional tan volumes away from all those Henry James volumes), and (2) balance the collection as a whole. A couple of times, an author's son or daughter has specifically requested a cloth color, and of course I'll accommodate their decision. (And sometimes, the colors do pick themselves, like green cloth for the American Earth volume.)

For the record, here are the color breakdowns through the Emerson volumes (not including the Twain Anthology and the Lincoln Anthology, when we used unique colors):

Red -- 52
Blue -- 51
Green -- 48
Tan -- 50 (counting the Franklin as 2 volumes)

David

4LesMiserables
Ene 15, 2011, 4:21 am

> 3

David, has there been any volumes, that just spoke to you as needing to be a certain colour? I'm not saying you have Aspergers, but sometimes things just attract colour.

I'm not sure if it would work but I think a 'White' would look gold with that gold lettering.
The Folio Society produced 'The Arabian Knights' in white with gold lettering and it is striking.

5olepuppy
Ene 15, 2011, 11:12 am

> 4

The recently published Mark Twain Anthology uses a whitish cloth, looks good. American Religious Poems uses a cream colored coated paper with gold highlights, good lookin too.

6DCloyceSmith
Ene 15, 2011, 1:51 pm

I'm sure there have been a couple along the way that "spoke" to me in this way, but (on the other hand) I've deliberately tried to avoid obvious traps (e.g., having all the Irish Americans in green).

The Lynd Ward volumes, of course, demanded the (new) brick-orange cloth, to match the second color printed inside the books.

All the authors and volumes prior to 2001 were chosen by my predecessors, so I can't say how they made their selections.

7kdweber
Ene 15, 2011, 4:10 pm

I'm not usually a big fan of orange bindings but I must say the Lynd Ward set looks great in its orange livery.

8LesMiserables
Ene 15, 2011, 8:24 pm

> 4

Get this book FREE when you purchase the 7-volume Complete Mark Twain Library!

Serendipity? :-)

9olepuppy
Editado: Ene 15, 2011, 11:51 pm

>8 LesMiserables:

7 books, 7000+ pages, less than 200 beans, cain't beat that with a stick, can just hear it callin yer name, LesMis, LesMis, LesMiserables....-)

10Texaco
Ene 16, 2011, 4:13 pm

David I just received the Twain anthology with its creamy white cloth and blue label. I think its gorgeous and hope there is more to come in this design.

11LesMiserables
Jul 30, 2011, 7:40 pm

I've just had an epithany: Purple!

12kcshankd
Jun 19, 2021, 8:13 pm

Resurrecting an old thread as I was able to spend some time browsing in a used bookstore yesterday, and spotted the cream Twain volume across the room. I literally bought the book for its cover.

I have the baby blue Lincoln anthology, I suppose I need the orange Lynd Ward woodcuts as well.