Elegant Endpapers

ffep

• Aka:
• FFEP or ffep
• front free endpaper

A common abbreviation for Front Free EndPaper. Generally, it is the first page of a book and is part of a single sheet that also spans across the inside of the front board (called the front pastedown) via a fold along the gutter with the purpose of connecting the boards to the stitched textblock.

As a result of this purpose, the paper quality of the ffep is generally of a heavier weight than those used for the pages of the book, and is often decorative.

[Biblio.com]

Pleasing Pastedowns

Here are some more visually appealing endpapers:

Engaging Endpapers

Endpapers are the leaves of paper fixed to the inside of the front and the back cover of a book.  Often endpapers are blank, sometimes they are colored, but best of all they are decorated.  A common decoration is a map.  Marbled endpapers are often seen in older books, especially those with decorative bindings.  Or endpapers may be illustrated with scenes from the book.

Here are a few examples of engaging endpapers that have passed our way recently.

From "The Fantasy of Pieter Brueghel."

From "The Friendly Beasts", illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov.

From "The Red Pony."

From "Bedtime Stories", a 1951 Junior Elf book.

Map endpapers from "Moonraker or The Female Pirate and Her Friends."