The American Printer: A Manual of Typography (Getty Research Institute copy)
The pattern
This still is filed under Specimen as proof.
Define
A specimen (type, material, finish) is shown so the product proves itself under comparison.
Mechanism
Controlled display. Same conditions, side by side, no adjective required. The sample is the sentence.
Verdict
Buyers choose by eye or by hand and we can put the real thing in front of them.
Why it works
The use of a specific tool of the trade (the composing stick) as a framing device for the title instantly signals the book's subject and audience.
Steal this when
You are designing a cover for a craft manual and want to incorporate a recognizable tool into the title.