Printers' Ink, Feb 5, 1896 (Vol. 14, No. 6): "Advertisement Writing" Talk No. 1 by Charles Austin Bates
The pattern
This still is filed under Lettered cover hook.
Define
The cover is the hook, and the hook is lettering: a title treated as an image.
Mechanism
Type as bait. The words are drawn so they stop the hand before the contents are known.
Verdict
A journal, book, or issue must sell itself on a rack or a feed
Why it works
Acts as the central clearinghouse for advertising knowledge of its era, combining practical advice (like Bates' column) with industry news and paid placements.
Steal this when
Studying the historical foundations of direct response and trade journal publishing.