Engraved label for Johnston's Circulating Library, Carlisle.

The label is printed on one side of a piece of paper roughly 15 x 9.5 cm. On heavily-worn, discoloured paper, with some loss of text. Six-line decorative heading: 'THIS BOOK | Belongs to | JOHNSTON'S | Circulating Library | English Stt. | CARLISLE.' The rest in copperplate. Firstly, five lines, including the request that 'BOOKS be not TRANSFERRED'. Followed by the 'Terms' (Yearly Supscription, Half-yearly, Quarterly and Monthly). This followed by seventeen lines. Includes the announcement that 'R. J. has always on hand a good assortment of Books departments of Literature'. List of subjects. At foot of page, in capitals: 'Book binding in plain and elegant bindings. | Engraved, Letter-Press and Copper-Plate printing neatly executed.' A scarce and significant piece of ephemera. This circulating library is not noted by Robin Alston. BBTI has Johnston trading from before 1818 to 1827, and quotes the following regarding him: `Very very bad/Swindled his creditors, by taking the benefit of the Insolvent Act after getting credit to a considerable amount. A Brazen faced rogue' [O&B H].