I-10: Introduction to the History of Illustration
7-11 July 2008
1) How useful were the pre-course readings?
1: They were generally good. I thought that Griffiths [Prints and Printmaking] was very good. 2: I did not have the opportunity to read all, but the ones I did read were very good. 3: The readings were very helpful. They provided some context and framework. It will be fun to go back to books post-class. 4: I enjoyed reading and learning from How Prints Look [Ivins]. 5: Pre-course readings provided a good overview. 6: The primary text was very useful [Harthan, The History of the Illustrated Book: the Western Tradition]. It does, however, assume far too much knowledge on the part of its readers. EB should undertake a new edition. 7: Quite useful except for Gaskell [A New Introduction to Bibliography]. 8: Harthan was a bit unwieldy. The other texts, especially Griffiths, were helpful. 9: The readings were appropriate. How Prints Look was very helpful, and the bibliography is an excellent reference tool. 10: The Gaskell text, while certainly the best of its kind, did not seem especially relevant to this particular class. It might have been useful to refer to the texts at some points during our class discussion. 11: Readings were moderately useful though sometimes repetitious. Harthan alone would have sufficed.
2) Were the course syllabus and other materials distributed in class appropriate and useful (or will they be so in the future, after you return home)?
1: Absolutely. 2: Yes, and they should be quite useful once I return home! 3: Yes, the suggested reading list is especially valuable. I will definitely continue reading about the subject matter. 4: Spot-on! 5: Yes, the materials were organized into useful categories. 6: Yes, I appreciated all materials, including the time line. I especially appreciated the instructor’s willingness to hand out bibliographic information on the PowerPoint slides and class samples, saving us all from writing during the class time, and thus providing us with more viewing time. 7: The materials will be very useful when I return home. I will share them with others who will also benefit from them. 8: Yes, very helpful. 10: I was very pleased to get exit reading lists from the additional lectures. On the final day of this class, EB distributed a list of illustrations featured in her PowerPoint lecture. I would have liked to receive such lists for every session. 11: Yes yes yes.
3) What aspects of the course content were of the greatest interest or relevance for your purposes? Was the intellectual level of the course appropriate?
1: I found that much of the c19 was, in places, the least interesting, while the material on each side was very good, almost compelling. The intellectual level was, indeed, appropriate. 2: Intellectual level was appropriate, and I particularly enjoyed the earlier material. In general a lot of material was covered, and the c19 and c20 was quite a whirlwind of information. 3: It was very helpful to finally have a chronological survey of this subject matter. 4: RBS and UVa have a terrific inventory to pull from for specific examples to be held or viewed up close. 5: Getting a feel for book production and publishing history so I can place a book in the proper context was of greatest interest for me. Also, enough time to address the technology in relation to the type of illustration was good. 6: Yes, all of it was relevant. 7: All of it was of interest to me. I will, however, make the most use of the material from c19. 8: I appreciated the chronological organization of the course and the discussion of the social, material and technical layers of meaning found in texts and images under discussion. 10: The ability to examine a wide variety of primary materials was essential. I thought EB did a great job of handling a class with widely divergent backgrounds and knowledge bases. 11: Of greatest interest/relevant to me were the c19-c20 portions of the course. Intellectual level was appropriate.
4) If your course left its classroom to visit Special Collections (SC) or to make other field trips away from your classroom, was the time devoted to this purpose well spent?
1: Yes, the Special Collections (SC) material reenforced the discussion. Slides and the order of presentation made perfect sense. 2: The time in SC was well spent and an excellent break from the classroom. It was a great opportunity to view rare examples! 3: Yes, the visits to SC were invaluable. It was so effective to see the actual books discussed earlier in class. 4: Absolutely! 5: Yes, sessions were well organized and selections tied in nicely to lectures by the instructor. 6: N/A. 7: We went to SC every day, and it was time very well spent, because it enabled us to view the more valuable items that could not be brought to class. 8: Yes. 9: N/A. 10: The opportunity to examine materials in SC was one of the best aspects of the course. My classmates usually seemed exhilarated by the experience. 11: Time spent in SC (every day) was most useful.
5) What did you like best about the course?
1: I liked the subject matter, instructor, other attendees, materials and staff. It was truly a fine experience. 2: EB. Her knowledge and enthusiasm was contagious. 3: I particularly enjoyed that we spent so much time looking at and examining actual books, illustrations, and plates/wood blocks. Also, I enjoyed the structure of each day. Lots of opportunity for reenforcement. The pace was perfect too. 4: I liked the quality of the instructor, the materials and the fellow attendees. 5: (1) The instructor was very knowledgeable, and provided “books” on which to attach information and “segues” to move through the centuries. (2) The instructor was courteous to her students. The attitude that there are “no stupid questions” set a congenial tone to class and allowed students to freely share their knowledge. (3) The mix of academics, collectors, and afficionados creates a lively discourse. (4) I loved the hands-on “biblio-rama” sessions. 6: The instructor was professional and personable. She treated everyone with respect, regardless of their knowledge levels on the course topic. She had control of the class, but was never overly strict. She smiled often, and laughter did not equate with lack of serious study or interest, and I appreciate that! The instructor’s background was appropriate and her topic knowledge was high. William McLean [the RBS staff member following the course] was always polite and helpful, a real joy. 7: I really enjoyed EB’s knowledge of the different artists and illustrations. I was impressed with the format of the course and the packets and books at “biblio-rama.” 8: I appreciated the chronological and cultural focus, the great examples of illustrated texts, and the thoughtful yet unpretentious tone of the lectures and discussion. Rare books can and should be approached with curiosity, wonder and humor (as well as awe). 9: Handling the books during “biblio-rama” and the additional information offered by classmates in their areas of expertise. 10: (1) My classmates contributed greatly to the quality of experience. A diverse lot, they brought a wide range of insights to the table. I am impressed by the caliber of RBS students. (2) EB was very, very knowledgeable. She was able to handle very abstruse questions with aplomb. She was always polite, helpful and empathetic. I cannot recommend her enough. 11: Touching (and viewing) the “stuff” was the best.
6) How could the course have been improved?
1: One improvement, which EB adopted, was to supplement her materials with a separate list of slides. This was done on Friday, based upon a student’s recommendation earlier in the week. Some of the packets could contain more background information, but overall I think this course is near fine. 2: Perhaps more handouts or outlines. It would make taking notes a bit easier. 3: Handouts of images seen in class would have been terrific. But otherwise the course was perfect. 4: None. Please keep EB coming back for the sake of future attendees. She is well prepared, has a great attitude, and kept class moving with interesting and relevant material. 5: Since this was an overview of five centuries, the only way to improve it is to extend the amount of time allotted to each period. 6: I do realize that this is a survey course, and that RBS course content is not to overlap, but I’d have liked to see some brief information regarding the processes and techniques used in the illustrations’ creation. 7: Only one suggestion. I would like to learn more concerning the historical effects of a certain type of illustration or of a particular illustrator. But that just gives me the opportunity to do more research. 8: I appreciated the cultural and technical overview with which we began our surveys on days one and two. Introductory lectures like these (on the major cultural/technical/material high points of illustrated book production and reception in the c18-c20 would be helpful). 10: I know that this class should not overlap too much with the techniques class, but a little more hands-on or technique coverage might have helped understand. Maybe a short video demonstrating some of the processes. 11: The pace of the course was too slow, until we reached c19 (day 4) and then the large amount of material and slides covered required more time than allotted. Context at some points was difficult to achieve, as no one was familiar enough with Aesop or Daphnes et Chloe, e.g., to describe fully the image we were viewing. Especially in a survey-like class as ours, such knowledge would have been helpful. Perhaps a precis in class (or pre-reading) might be considered. Lacking that, a quick onsite googling would have been helpful.
7) We are always concerned about the physical well-being both of the RBS teaching collections and of materials owned by UVa’s Special Collections. If relevant, what suggestions do you have for the improved classroom handling of such materials used in your course this week?
1: N/A. 2: I did notice a member of our class touching the examples in Special Collections, most often when EB was showing material to other students. Although “everyone” knows students should refrain from touching examples in SC, perhaps the point needs to be reiterated. 3-4: None. 5: All drinks off the table. 6: None. 7: All went well. 8: I thought that the materials were handled with care and respect. 10: N/A. 11: Classroom handling seemed appropriate. William McLean, our follower, was especially helpful in SC.
8) If you attended the Sunday and/or other evening lectures, were they worth attending?
1: I very much enjoyed the several I attended, not only for context, but as a vehicle for meeting other classes’ participants. 2: Lectures were all very good, and I especially enjoyed the Monday evening lecture on maps. [No. 509] 3: Yes. 4: Yes! I loved Ms. Hudson’s lecture [No. 509]. I will be applying for her class next year. 5: Yes, after a long day traveling, it’s nice to relax with a congenial group. 6: Yes, I enjoyed both lectures immensely, most especially Russell Johnson’s [No. 510]. 7: Yes, they were. I really enjoyed the “baby book” lecture by Russell Johnson. 8: Unfortunately, I missed Sunday’s lecture. I will make a point to attend if I take an RBS course again. I heard great things about the lectures. 10: I attended all of the evening programs, and enjoyed each one. The “baby book” talk was not especially relevant to my interests, but it was an entertaining detour. 11: TB’s lecture is always worth attending. Alice Hudson’s map lecture was superb. Johnson’s baby book lecture was amusing and worthwhile as well.
9) Did you get your money’s worth? Any final or summary thoughts, or advice for other persons considering taking this course in a future year?
1: No question, at retail or wholesale. Perhaps a recommendation, but not a requirement: guiding students to a selected website to view sample materials in advance. 2: Yes, I did get my money’s worth. My advice to future students of RBS is to get plenty of rest prior to your arrival. 3: Absolutely! This course was wonderful. 4: Yes! Absolutely! I will be attending every summer from now on. 5: This is as close as one can get to a cloistered experience. No TV, radio, or newspapers are around to distract one from the task at hand. Everyone’s energy is focused on a common goal. The approach to some of the books is almost reverential, in some cases ecstatic. The sheer number of images presented will take time to settle in one’s memory bank. But seeing the difference between the actual artifact and a reproduction is “priceless” (as the MC commercial says). 7: It was definitely worth the time spent. 8: Yes, this was an excellent course. I appreciated the content and approach. I hope to take another course in the near future. Thank you to EB for a great introduction to the long material history of illustrated texts and the social history of RBS. 9: Absolutely! 10: I am extremely pleased with the class. I enjoyed myself immensely and would love to take additional RBS classes in the near future. 11: Yes.
Number of respondents: 11
PERCENTAGES
Leave Tuition Housing Travel
Institution Institution Institution Institution
gave me leave paid tuition paid housing paid travel
45% 54% 54% 54%
I took vaca- I paid tui- I paid for my I paid my own
tion time tion myself own housing travel
0% 18% 36% 36%
N/A: self- N/A: Self- N/A: stayed N/A: lived
employed, re- employed, with friends nearby
tired, or had retired, or or lived at
summers off scholarship home
54% 27% 9% 9%
There were 3 rare book librarians (27%); 3 teacher/professors (27%); 2 antiquarian booksellers (18%); 2 at RBS in role as book collector (18%); and 1 art librarian (9%).