Identification
Photo reference
2 uploaded photos
Overview
This appears to be a clothbound newspaper type-specimen book: a working reference showing the lettering available for setting advertisements or other printed matter. Its readable title page identifies The Chicago Tribune, “The World's Greatest Newspaper,” and the date 1916.
Story
The reported title page identifies The Chicago Tribune, includes its slogan "The World's Greatest Newspaper," and is dated 1916. The book appears to have served as a working reference for available lettering used in newspaper advertising or other printed matter. No ownership history, institutional association, or documented chain of custody has been supplied. Period type-specimen books appeal to typography collectors, graphic designers, printing historians, and collectors of Chicago newspaper material.
Maker / Origin
Unattributed
Condition & Value
The identification evidence describes a clothbound book with a readable dated title page; those are the only specific physical features established here. No independently inspectable photographs accompany this report, so cloth wear, hinge integrity, staining, and page completeness cannot be assessed directly.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Period type-specimen books appeal to typography collectors, graphic designers, printing historians, and collectors of Chicago newspaper material. The supplied evidence shows specialist antiquarian offerings rather than completed sales, so it does not establish current sell-through or price momentum. Attractive specimen pages and sound, complete bindings generally make these books easier to market. A newspaper-specific reference has a narrower audience than a comprehensive foundry catalog, but its local historical connection offers an additional selling angle.
▲ Reported 1916 title page places the book in the collectible early twentieth-century printing-reference category.
▲ Chicago Tribune identification adds newspaper-history and Chicago collecting appeal.
▲ Clothbound working-reference format aligns with the period type-specimen comparables.
▲ Typography content offers a specialist audience beyond general used-book buyers.
▼ Completeness is unconfirmed; missing specimen leaves could materially reduce collector interest.
▼ Binding and interior condition remain unassessed; detached boards or substantial staining would lower value if present.
▼ No exact-title completed sale establishes demand or a reliable transaction benchmark.
▼ The sole verified USD comparison is a more extensive specialist book offered at retail, not a recorded sale.
Best Venue
It is worth listing individually on eBay, initially around $325 with offers enabled, using the full title and keywords such as typography, type specimen, and Chicago Tribune. For a quicker sale, a $125–$175 asking price is a practical starting point, not a guaranteed result. Photograph the binding, title page, representative alphabets, ornaments, and any contents or pagination, and describe defects precisely; avoid repairs or aggressive cleaning.
Upside Potential
A complete, sound copy with extensive, visually compelling specimens could support the $350 high end. Exceptional content or demonstrable exact-title demand could justify deeper specialist review, but the USD 500 French foundry asking price alone does not establish that value for this book.