Intended for collectors, dealers, librarians,
teachers, and others who have had no previous formal exposure to the
history of the book, this course aims to provide an introductory structure
for the subject on which students who go on to further study of the topics
and periods introduced can build.
In their personal statements, applicants should
describe the nature of their developing interest in the subject. The
course really is aimed at those beginning their formal
study of the history of books and printing; applications are discouraged
from those who have already taken other RBS historical courses. (If you
have taken other RBS courses but still would like to take this one,
please be sure to explain your reasons in your personal statement.)
New course.
12
Book Illustration Processes to 1890 (I - 020). The identification
of illustration
processes and techniques, including (but not only) woodcut, etching,
engraving, stipple, aquatint, mezzotint, lithography, wood engraving,
steel engraving, process line and halftone relief, collotype, photogravure,
and color printing. The course will be taught almost entirely from the
extensive Book Arts Press files of examples of illustration processes.
As part of the course, students will make their own etchings, drypoints, and
relief cuts in supervised laboratory sessions. Instructor:
Terry Belanger.
The purpose of this course is to teach students how to
tell the difference between the various relief, intaglio, and planographic
printing methods used in printed book illustration in the
period before the domination of photographic processes. The emphasis of
the course will be on process rather than on connoisseurship, on execution
rather than design, and on the practical
rather than the theoretical.
Almost the sole medium of instruction will be actual
examples of original prints drawn from the substantial BAP collection,
many of them divided into suites or (as they are known locally)
packets of twelve prints all from the same (or a very similar) source. The
twelve students in the class study the packets under close supervision,
using 8X loupes and 30X microscopes (both
provided), as necessary.
During the course, students will make and print a
linoleum cut, a zinc etching, and an acrylic drypoint. These are exercises
in reproductive -- not creative -- work: no artistic ability of any
kind whatsoever is either necessary or expected.
In their personal statement, prospective applicants
should describe the extent of their formal and/or informal background in
the field.
Terry Belanger & Joan Friedman taught this course four times
between 1983 and 1987; TB
has taught the course alone 16 times since 1988.
Offered again in June; see below, Course
No. 33.
The course will cover the following areas: the history
of EAD and its theoretical and technological foundations; an introduction
to Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) and
Extensible Markup Language (XML), including discussions of authoring and
network publishing tools; a detailed exploration of the structure of EAD;
use of software tools to create and publish finding aids; discussion of
conversion techniques and methodologies, and templates for the creation of
new finding aids; and the integration and management of EAD in an archive
or library.
In their personal statement, applicants should indicate
their relevant archival background, the extent of their previous
experience with computers in general and graphical user interfaces and EAD
in particular, and describe their role (present or future) in the
implementation of EAD in their home institution. Daniel Pitti has taught this
course eight times since 1997.
21 The Printed Book in the West to
1800 (H - 030).
The introduction and spread of printing in Europe; the development of book
design and illustration; the rise of the publishing industry; freedom and
the regulation of the press; the increase in literacy and its social
consequences; the traffic in printed matter and the growth of personal and
institutional collections; the impact of the Industrial Revolution.
Intended for those who have a limited background -- but a considerable
interest -- in the history of the book, and who expect, sooner or later,
to take the other two courses in this RBS sequence (The Medieval Book and
The Printed Book in the West since 1800), both scheduled to be offered in
RBS 2001's summer session. Instructor:
Martin Antonetti.
This course will cover the development of the Western
printed book in the hand-press period, that is from the middle of the c15
to the beginning of the c19, in chronological and thematic sessions via a
combination of lectures, workshops, slides, videotapes, and films. The
topics covered include the introduction and spread of printing in Europe;
the development of book design and illustration; the rise of the
publishing industry; freedom and the regulation of the press; the increase
in literacy and its social consequences; the traffic in printed matter and
the growth of personal and institutional collections; and the impact of
the Industrial Revolution.
This course is intended for those who seek
a general overview of the technical and cultural aspects of the history of
books, printing, and the allied arts and who would like formal classroom
exposure to the subject in a well-equipped environment. The instructor
emphasizes that this course is aimed at beginners.
In their personal statement, applicants should describe
the nature of their developing interest in the history of the book and (if
relevant) explain briefly the causes of this interest and the
purposes to which they propose to put the knowledge gained from the
course. Martin
Antonetti has taught this course twice since 1999.
22 Printed Ephemera (H - 075).
Underpinning the course is the view that ephemera deserve serious
attention from business and social historians, from design and printing
historians, and from those with curatorial responsibilities for
collections of paper-based materials. The course will address ephemera
from several different directions, but principally with the needs of the
curator and collector in mind. It will focus on c19 English-language
ephemera, though the general issues raised relate to all periods and also
to foreign-language material. Classes will consist of a mix of illustrated
talks on specific topics, discussion periods, and sessions spent looking
at original items. Issues to be covered include the processes used in the
production of ephemera (in particular, transfer lithography and
chromolithography); acquisitions policies and strategies; describing and
cataloging ephemera, and the associated issues of dating, terminology, and
the digitization of collections. Instructor:
Michael Twyman.
The course will make use of ephemera owned by RBS and
by the UVa Library and draw on the collection (mainly American) of the
noted Charlottesville collector, Calvin P. Otto, who will also be
contributing to the course. Several class sessions will focus on
the work of printers of ephemera (eg John Soulby and William
Kitchin) and companies who commissioned printing on a large scale
(eg Huntley & Palmers and Ransomes). Together these sessions
will illuminate particular aspects of c19 ephemera, including their
content, purpose, design, language, and method of production. Members of
the class will be invited -- though not required -- to give short accounts
or presentations of focused collections in their care, whether private or
institutional.
In their personal statement, applicants are encouraged
to describe any aspects of ephemera that they would particularly like to
see brought up during class sessions. New course.
23 Publishers' Bookbindings,
1830-1910 (B - 090).
The perception of the importance of c19 books in library stack and other
collections has risen dramatically in recent years, and a variety of steps
is being taken to preserve them. The cover provided by the publisher is
the prime compelling physical aspect of these books. This course is aimed
at those working with or interested in c19 book covers. Emphasis is on
American book covers with comparisons to English and continental styles.
Topics include: the materials (often beautiful), technology, evolving
styles of ornamentation, the network of practitioners, the description of
bindings, preservation, ongoing research, and developing opportunities in
the field. Instructor:
Sue Allen.
The c19 book cover as we look at it is a complex
product of manufacture. It is often difficult to tell what has happened
(was the cloth grained or stamped? How exactly was the gold put on?).
In today's climate of heightened appreciation of these covers, it is
important to understand how they were put together, to distinguish those
that are more rare or more unusual, and to recognize which are typical of
their time.
In laboratory sessions, this course examines the
processes of graining, stamping, and embossing so that they are clearly
understood. The sequence of bookcloths provided by the manufacturer, their
variety of colors and textures, the endpapers, the striped endbands, all
the materials the binder brought to the book, are studied in detail, as
are -- decade by decade -- the technologies and styles that changed the
appearance of the covers. Special emphasis is given to the identification
of "signed" bindings: when they occur and how to look for them. Background
case histories are given of practitioners in the field: binder, engraver,
publisher, and (at the turn of the century) the art-designer. The course
will make extensive use of the Book Arts Press's collection of c19 and
early c20 binding examples. Sue Allen has taught this
course 12 times since 1984.
24 Introduction to Descriptive
Bibliography (G - 010).
An introduction to the physical examination and description of printed
books, especially of the period 1550-1875. Designed both for those with
little previous formal exposure to this subject and for those with some
general knowledge of the field who wish to be presented with a systematic
discussion of the elements of physical description. A major part of the
course will consist of small, closely supervised laboratory sessions
in which students will gain practice in determining format and collation
and in writing standard descriptions of signings and pagination. In daily
museum sessions, students will have the opportunity to see a wide variety
of printed books drawn from the extensive Book Arts Press laboratory
collections. Instructors:
Terry Belanger and
Richard Noble.
This course is intended for persons who want to develop
a better understanding of the physical description of books, particularly
those books produced before about 1850. Each class day is
divided into four parts: lecture, homework, lab, and museum. Daily
lectures concentrate on methods of determining format and collation, and
of describing type, paper, illustrations, binding, and the circumstances
of publication. Students prepare for daily laboratory sessions in which
they work, under close supervision, with progressively more difficult
examples of various formats and collations. During the daily museum
periods, students have extensive hands-on access to the celebrated BAP
realia collections: tools and equipment, samples and examples,
self-teaching packages, and the like. Terry Belanger and various
co-instructors taught this course 10 times between 1985 and 1996; since
1997, TB and Richard Noble have taught the
course five times.
25 Electronic Texts and Images
(L - 070). A
practical exploration of the research, preservation, editing, and
pedagogical uses of electronic texts and images in the humanities. The
course will center around the creation of a set of archival-quality etexts
and digital images, for which we shall also create an Encoded Archival
Description guide. Topics include: SGML tagging and conversion; using the
Text Encoding Initiative Guidelines; the form and implications of XML;
publishing on the World Wide Web; and the management and use of online texts.
For details about last year's version of this course,
click here. Some experience with
HTML is a prerequisite for admission to the course. Instructor:
David Seaman.
This course will provide a wide-ranging and practical
exploration of electronic texts and related technologies. It is aimed
primarily (although not exclusively) at librarians and scholars keen
to develop, use, publish, and control electronic texts for library,
research, or teaching purposes. Drawing on the experience and resources
available at UVa's Electronic Text Center, the course will cover the
following areas: how to create archival-quality etexts, including digital
image facsimiles; the necessity of Standard Generalized Markup Language
(SGML) for etext development and use; the implications of XML; text
analysis software; and the management and use of Web-based SGML text
databases. As a focus for our study of etexts, the class will create an
electronic version of an archival document, mark its structure with SGML
("TEI") tagging, create digital images of sample pages and illustrations,
produce a hypertext version, and make the results available on the
Internet.
Applicants need to have some experience with the
tagging of HTML documents. In their personal statement, applicants should
assess the extent of their present knowledge of the electronic
environment, and outline a project of their own to which they hope to
apply the skills learned in this course. David Seaman has taught this
course at RBS 14 times since 1994.
31 History of European and American
Papermaking (H - 060).
Papermaking from its introduction in Europe through the Industrial
Revolution, emphasizing changes in technology and the economics of the
trade. Topics include: labor and management, the identification and
description of paper in early books and manuscripts, and the revival of
hand-papermaking in the c20. The course will include demonstrations of
manufacturing techniques, and sessions in which students will date and
localize early papers on the basis of watermark and other physical
evidence. Instructor:
John Bidwell.
This course will examine the historical setting of
early papermaking, its aesthetics and technology. The lectures will view
(1) changes in technology in the light of documentary evidence; (2)
the economics and organization of the paper trade (mostly in England,
France, and America); (3) the relationship between the paper trade and the
book trade; and (4) paper as bibliographical evidence.
No hands-on experience in printing or papermaking is
required, but applicants should have a general acquaintance with the
history of books and printing. John Bidwell taught this course
in RBS five times with Timothy Barrett between 1987 and 1997; he teaches
it alone for the first time this year.
32 Physical Evidence in Early Printed
Books (G - 060).
The use of a wide variety of evidence -- paper, type, rubrication and
illumination, bindings, ownership marks, and annotations -- to shed light
both on questions of analytical bibliography and wider questions of book
distribution, provenance, and use. There will be a fairly detailed
discussion and analysis of both good and bad features in existing
reference works on early printing. The seminar assumes a basic
knowledge of descriptive bibliography and some familiarity with Latin.
Instructor:
Paul Needham.
This course is intended to serve as a general
introduction to bibliographical analysis. Its examples and methods are
primarily derived from c15 printing, as this is a period commonly
overlooked or only summarily treated by the standard guides. Copy-specific
features of books will also be examined, for the same reason that the
standard guides generally neglect them.
Note that this course is not a general
historical introduction to incunabula; the primary purpose of the course
is to encourage a way of bibliographical thinking that should prove useful
in the analysis of all books, early or modern.
Students should have already taken the RBS Descriptive
Bibliography course or its equivalent. Since so many of the books studied
will be in Latin, some familiarity with that language will
be an advantage. In their personal statement, students should indicate the
extent of their proficiency with descriptive bibliography and with Latin.
Paul Needham has taught
this course 11 times since 1988.
33 Book Illustration Processes to 1890
(I - 020).
The identification of illustration processes and techniques, including
(but not only) woodcut, etching, engraving, stipple, aquatint, mezzotint,
lithography, wood engraving, steel engraving, process line and halftone
relief, collotype, photogravure, and color printing. The course will be
taught almost entirely from the extensive Book Arts Press files of
examples of illustration processes. As part of the course, students will
make their own etchings, drypoints, and relief cuts in supervised laboratory
sessions. Instructor:
Terry Belanger.
For the Expanded Course Description and links
to the Course Evaluations for this course, see above, Course
No. 12
34 Rare Book Cataloging (L - 030).
Aimed at catalog librarians who find that their present duties include (or
shortly will include) the cataloging of rare books or special collections
materials. Attention will be given both to cataloging books from the hand-press
period and to c19 and c20 books in a special collections context.
Topics include: comparison of rare book and general cataloging;
application of codes and standards (especially DCRB); uses of
special files; problems in transcription, collation and physical
description; setting cataloging policy within an institutional context.
Instructor:
Deborah J. Leslie.
This course -- restricted to working catalogers
experienced in AACR2r, MARC, and general cataloging principles and
practices -- will provide training in the application of Descriptive
Cataloging of Rare Books (DCRB). Lectures, discussion, and exercises will
center around the following topics: DCRB and the differences between rare
book and general cataloging; a brief introduction to printing and binding
in the hand-press era; basic concepts of edition, issue, and state; the
organization of the cataloging record, including levels of detail and
variety of access points; problems in transcription, format and collation,
and physical description; recent developments in codes and standards; the
uses and requirements of special files; and setting rare book and/or
special collections cataloging policy within an institutional context. The
goal of this course is to provide practice in each of the primary elements
of the rare book catalog record, so that students will be equipped to
begin cataloging their institutions' rare book and special collections
materials. Although some attention will be given to post-1800 books, the
primary focus will be on books of the hand-press era.
In their personal statement, applicants should describe
their experience with machine-readable AACR2 cataloging and provide a
brief description of the types of materials they expect to
catalog. Various instructors taught this RBS course 14 times between
1983 and 1997; Deborah J. Leslie
has taught it four times since 1998.
