"The first known dust jackets were produced by German binderies in the 1760s, long before their appearance in Britain and the US. The oldest surviving dust jacket outside of Germany was discovered at Oxford University's Bodleian Library for a book with a vulnerable silk binding, printed in 1830."
"Some of the earliest book jackets wrapped around the entire book and were sealed with wax. They were typically plain and typographic, and their main purpose was to protect the book during transit, especially silk cloth bindings and gold embossed details."
"The book jacket's function quickly evolved from protection to publicity as publishers began to see the dust jacket's potential for marketing. Illustrated or pictorial book jackets appeared early on but really took off in the 1920s, boosted by advances in color printing."
"In Japan, they're called 本の帯 (hon no obi), literally a book obi. This diminutive 'dust jacket' is typically used for promotional materials, contrasting with the English term 'belly band'."
Dust jackets, initially created in the 1760s by German binderies, served to protect books during transit. They evolved from plain, typographic wraps to colorful marketing tools by the 1920s. The first printed books were sold without covers, and cloth binding emerged around 1820. The oldest surviving dust jacket was found at Oxford University, dating back to 1830. In Japan, similar promotional wraps are known as 'hon no obi', contrasting with the English term 'belly band'.
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