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Closeup of one of the multi-alphabet pages. Contemporary
reviews called the book a masterpiece of the typographer’s art.
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An amazing book will leap off the shelf at me no matter how
drab the binding. In fact, I look for temporary and homemade bindings because
that’s how the treasures are disguised. While shelving in the Religion section at
Wonder Book last month, I happened upon a worn and broken cover from an
office-supply store that held browning photocopies of “The Lord’s Prayer in 500
Languages.” The book, printed in 1905, contains myriad languages and alphabets,
faithfully reproduced. Immediately I knew it would become a wedding gift to a
newly-married couple who will be
translating the Scriptures into languages that don't yet have written
alphabets. I downloaded the missing title page, prologue, and Table of Contents
from Google’s digital archive. After recopying the pages onto better paper and trimming them, I bound
them with Indian marble paper and a leather spine. The gift is now in the hands of newlyweds who love it and will make good
use of it.
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| Browned photocopies, beat-up old binder--just what I like. Possibilities abound. |
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| The box protects and complements the binding. |
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| Leftover bits and pieces enhance the box cover. |
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| Initial concept: new paper, deciding the trim size. |
