Construction Checklist Book Appraisal

Building Check List by Ben John Small

The item is an open book, revealing its title page. The page is an off-white or cream color, suggesting aged paper but appears clean with no significant discoloration. The text is printed in black ink. The title, "Building Check List," is prominently displayed in a bold serif font, stacked vertically, with "Building" at the top, "Check" in the middle, and "List" at the bottom. Above the main title, 'A Progressive Architecture Book' is printed in a smaller, lighter font, indicating the genre or publisher's series. Below the title, the author's name, 'Ben John Small', is centered in a slightly smaller, perhaps italicized, serif typeface. At the bottom of the page, the publisher, 'Reinhold Publishing Corporation,' and its location, 'New York, U.S.A.', are listed. A distinctive graphic design element on the left side of the page is a vertical column of twelve checkmark symbols, suggesting the theme of a checklist. An abstract, bold black diagonal line extends from the top right corner of the page, passes through a large inverted checkmark symbol positioned near the center-left, and then continues downwards, creating a dynamic visual element. The visible condition is good, with no apparent tears, creases, or major stains. The pages appear tightly bound, indicating good construction. The aesthetic suggests a mid-20th-century publication, likely from the architecture or building industry, characterized by a clean, functional design with a touch of modernist graphic sensibility.