Pete Llewellyn
Copyright 1997 by Pete Llewellyn
Summer 1997
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE USE OF THE COLOPHON
The modern colophon is defined as "an inscription placed
at the end of a book or manuscript, usually with facts relative to
its production". 1 Although becoming increasingly rare, modern
colophons used today in books written in English commonly contain
the name of the typeface and the size of the font. In some books
written in other languages the colophon still enjoys wider usage
in regard to giving the reader information about the printer of
the book and related information.
Earlier in history the colophon could contain a great deal
more information about the manuscript or book, as well as facts
relative to the production of the book. The earlier uses of the
colophon included such items as the title of the document or book,
the author's name, sometimes biographical information about
the author, information about the printer, where and when the
document was produced, warnings, curses, verification that the
work is a true copy, or a blessing on the reader.2
Later, written or drawn with, or in the proximity of the
text, the colophon sometimes also included a "device."
A "device" is a symbol or design which could be an animal, a
stylized letter or other symbol. The use of the device was often
a symbol of the printer of the book. When a printer started
working in a new area, he often utilized the colophon as a means
of advertising.3 Today, some publishers use the terminology of
colophon to describe what is in actuality a device.
" This is not, however, thought to be the proper use of the
word "colophon".
DERIVATION OF THE WORD "COLOPHON"
The word "colophon" is derived form the Greek word
kolophon, which is translated as the summit, the top, the end or
the finishing stroke.4 Colophon was the name of a small city near
Ephesus, which is located in the northwest corner of present day
Turkey. There are at least two versions of how "Colophon" developed
to mean the summit, crest, or finishing touch.
The first version of the derivation comes from the
idea that the calvary of the town of Colophon was known to be
very efficient in the art of war. From this reputation grew a
Greek maxim "to put the colophon to it" or "to put on the
colophon", which meant to finish something, including a battle or
other work.
The second version of the derivation of the word states
that because the Smyrnaeans were allowed into the city of Colophon,
that the people in Colophon were allowed a vote in the Panionium
(the congress of the twelve Ionian cities ), and that their vote
enabled them to "turn the tide" on important matters of the day.
Another authority states that the above explanations were
invented to explain the use of the word, and that both of the above
explanations may be erroneous. They suggest that the word, as
translated from Greek, simply translates as "crest".5
Whatever explanation is correct, this word later was used
to designate the name of the final word or statement in a book
or printed manuscript.
The colophon is not popular today as title pages have taken
over supplying much of the information that was previously put in
the colophon. As the title page came into use, the colophon was
found to be redundant when the title of the work was placed on the
cover of the book.6
EXAMPLES OF COLOPHONS
An example of a colophon from Greece (circa 78-77 BC),
where a major use of the colophon was to validate that copied text
is authentic, or that the translation is true, is as follows:
"In the fourth year of Ptolemy and Cleopatra Dositheus, who said he
was a priest, and Levitas, and Ptolemy his son, deposited the
preceding "Letter of Purim," which they said really exists and
has been translated by Lysimachus (son of) Ptolemy, (a member)
of the Jerusalem community".7
As an example the difficulty of copying a book correctly,
I have included below a sampling of margin notes which show
how difficult and tedious this work was to the scribe. After reading
some of these notes, it is clear why some of the colophons urged
a curse to those who would change or alter the text in any way.
Examples are as follows: "Thin ink, bad vellum, difficult
text", "Now I've written the whole thing: for Christ's sake give
me a drink." "Let the copiest be permitted to put an end to his
labor", and "Thank God, it will soon be dark." With darkness came
a reprieve from work for those who wrote and copied the works.
Work ceased in the evenings for the monks doing this work, as
fear of fire in the monasteries was high, and the scribes would
have had to work with candles. The scribes often wrote for six
hours each day, and the scribe who wrote the above comments were
clearly happy to see the work day come to an end.8
A colophon from Adamnan's Vita Columbae contains
a warning to those who write and copy to books to be careful and
caring. The colophon is as follows:
"I beseech those who wish to transcribe these books, yea,
rather, I adure them by Christ, the judge of the world, after they
have them diligently transcribed, carefully to compare and
correct their copies with that from which they have copied
them, and also to subjoin here this adjuration. Whoever
readeth these books on the virtues of St. Columba, let him
pray to the Lord for me Dorbene that after death I may possess
eternal life"9
This colophon enforces the notion that the work was
taken very seriously and was considered very valuable.
A colophon used as a curse is found in a codex written
by Moshe Ben-Asher in the year 827 in the Near East. The colophon
states:
"I, Moshe Ben-Asher have written this codex of the Scripture
according to my judgment, as the very good hand of my God was
upon me" He continues "Whoever alters a word of this code, or
erases one letter or rips off one leaf, may he have neither pardon
nor forgiveness, neither let him behold the beauty of the Lord, nor
let him see the good that is reserved for those who fear Him.
He shall be like a woman in impurity and like a leprous man who has
to be locked up so that his limbs may be crushed, the pride of
his power broken, his flesh be consumed away that it cannot
be seen and his bones corroded to unsightliness. Amen."10
Here is an example of a curse, (rather a grim curse, I think)
again showing that books were valued highly by the writer and
that the destruction or mutilation of the books was considered
a grievous mistake.
A colophon written in Barcelona, which closely resembles
those curses of the middle east, shows how the Muslim influence
affected Spanish literature. One of these colophons is as follows:
"From him that stealeth, or borroweth and returneth not, this
book from its owner, let it change into a serpent in his hand,
and rend him. Let him be struck with palsy, and all his members
blasted. Let him languish in pain crying aloud for mercy, and let
there be no surcease to his agony till he sing in dissolution. Let
bookworms gnaw his entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not,
and when at last he goeth to his final punishment, let the
flames of Hell consume him forever."11
I have included this colophon to illustrate how the
use of colophons can be of use for historians to trace invasions,
migrations and movements of people throughout history. The
invasions of the Moors, and their Muslim influence are clearly
demonstrated by the similarity of the two above colophons.
Three more colophons demonstrate how researchers may use
colophons in their work. Information is included in the colophon
which may not be available elsewhere. Three are given here:
"Anba Yuannis al-Tukhi, the 103rd patriarch, was consecrated
on Sunday, 9 Baramouda, 1392 A.M." (1676 AD)
"In 1394 A.M. (1677-8), the inflation (or famine) was great."
"In the same year: it was proclaimed that two bells would be
hung on the neck of the Christians and a (single) bell on the
neck of the Jews when entering the (public) baths, and that each
one of the Jews and the Christians (must) dye their turbans, and
not wear garments made form felt (or goukh) or wool. It
was also stated that no one of the Moslems (shall) walk bare-footed
or enter a mosque except (wearing) wooden-clogs (or Qubqab),
and everyone who hears the call to prayer and does not enter
the mosque for prayer would be punished. It was also
proclaimed that women would not wear veils, and Christian
women are not to wear white cloths. And the clothing of the
Christian shall be, in general, black."12
According to one authority,13 the history of printing
began with Fust and Schoeffer's Psalter, and this is the first
book to have the name of its makers and the production date
mentioned in colophon. The colophon is dated August 14th, 1457.
Also listed in this book is the first recorded use of a
device used at the end of a book. Fust and Schoeffer printed a Bible
in 1462, in which they placed their device in the book
accompanying their colophon.
Perhaps the simplest colophon which I could locate is in
one the books in my own library. In Olla Podrida, The Pirate,
and the Three Cutters, written by Captain Marry and published in
1846, the colophon simply states: "Turnbull and Spears,
Printers Edinburgh".14
This colophon illustrates how the colophon was becoming
less important as the title page gained prominence in publishing.
In Great Cases of Sherlock Holmes, another book from my
library, (circa 1987), a colophon is included which could have
been written very early in the history of colophons. The colophon
includes the title of the book, information about the designer,
illustrator, author and the history of the typeface. The type of
paper is described. Also included in this colophon is an example
of the type of bravado which was included in some of the early
colophons, utilizing adjectives like "dash" and "precision". It
is included here:
"This Franklin Library edition of Great Cases of Sherlock Holmes
is set, appropriately, in Baskerville, a classic typeface designed
in the eighteenth century by the English stonecutter and printer,
John Baskerville. The book was designed by Jane Heelan. Mitchell
Hooks' illustrations interpret highly dramatic moments in Conan
Doyle's stories with dash and precision. The maps are the work of
Dr. Julian Wolff. The acid free paper is 60 pound Franklin Library
1854 Cream, made to archival standards by the S.D. Warren Paper
Company of Cumberland Mills, Maine. The book was printed by
R.R. Donnelly & Sons, Co, Chicago, Illinois,"15
I have included this colophon here to illustrate that
some modern book producers are still publishing books
containing colophons. The Franklin Press is a subsidiary of
the Franklin Mint, which produces modern facsimiles of
historical documents and other collectibles.
The most modern use of the colophon I have found is by
publishers who put up pages on the World Wide Web.
An interesting history of what the Houghton Mifflin Company
designates as their colophon is given on the Houghton Mifflin
Web Page. Houghton Mifflin has taken some liberties by calling
this design a colophon. The design which they call their colophon
is technically a device. The history gives the a picture of the
early design and the name and dates of the designer, and the
history of the changes of the colophon up to today's use of the
piper sitting on a leaping dolphin. The piece states that the
piper plays an "inspirational tune", and that the dolphin
"represents swiftness", "has grown increasingly vigorous and
playful. We know it today to be a friendly creature of great
intelligence, and as such it is an appropriate symbol for the
may kinds of communication Houghton Mifflin seeks to make
accessible to the public."16
After studying this article, I find it to be more of a
public relations piece for the company than a history of the
colophon.
The colophon is an interesting piece of the history of
book publishing. Researchers have used the colophon to study
history and to clarify dates of events. Authors and publishers
and printers have used the colophon for informational purposes,
bragging, and promotion of their publications, and some modern
day publishers, including those on the World Wide Web still
continue the tradition for similar purposes.
This document has been typed in Times New Roman typeface,
and is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements in
INFO 668, The History of the Book, a course offered by
Drexel University in the Summer of 1997.