Iconic bindings and typefaces in contemporary bible publishing

This bog has chronicled the creative formats and contents used by large publishing companies to sell bibles in a saturated market: as glossy magazines, as manga graphic "novels" and, of course, as study bibles aimed at every religious, demographic, and political niche market (e.g. the God Bless the USA Bible). The Bible today takes almost an infinite number of forms (and here).

But many smaller publishers cater to the market by producing bibles that imitate historical forms and typefaces.

For example, the website selling the Bibliotheca Bible emphasizes that the iconicity of this five-volume cloth-bound set in a walnut wood box elevates the semantic reading experience: 

an elegant, meticulously crafted edition of the Bible ... in classic typographic style, free of all added conventions such as chapter and verse numbers, section headers, cross-references, and marginalia. ... grounded in the time-tested principles of fine bookmaking and typography ... introducing Katharos  —  a custom-designed typeface created specifically for Bibliotheca, blending timeless elegance with optimal readability. Its clean, open forms and carefully balanced proportions are tailored to support immersive, effortless reading. ...  [of ]the American Literary Version  —  a respectfully revised edition of the 1901 American Standard Version ... [which] isn’t meant to smooth over or explain away the complexities inherent to the text  —  rather, it invites readers into the profound depth and literary artistry of the biblical library.

The NASB HIStory Bible uses even more traditional typography and bindings, even though the flexible goatskin binding comes in pink, blue, orange, yellow, or amethyst. The gilt pages edges depict Christ amid images drawn from both testaments. And "we've created exquisite dropped capitals to be placed at the beginning of each story, so that the reader can readily follow the story line, unperturbed by chapter divisions." 
  

 

 

I do not know how well these bibles sell. Presumably, the mass-produced versions sell in much larger numbers. But these efforts attest to the continuing nostalgia for scriptures that look and feel like popular stereotypes of older bibles.