Named for its designer Joseph Blumenthal (1897-1990), Blumenthal bindings (type 8) were used for all Modern Library regular issues in the period 1939-1963. ( Four titles had them in 1939, and by 1941 all titles had them.) They were made up of linen cloth over thick, stiff cardboard with dark label panels with gold lettering on the spine and front cover, and logos designed by Rockwell Kent.
The bindings came in red, green, blue, and gray. While each title came in just one color per printing, different printings of the same title sometimes came in different colors.
For some detailed comments about early releases of this binding, see About Blumenthal Bindings.
For detailed illustrated discussions of binding types, see the Toledano Guide (reviewed elsewhere on ModernLib). For a more limited treatment, see Quick Guide to Regular Binding Styles.
