RBS History Course Offerings
The Buchtel/Dimunation course, History of the Book, 200-2000(H-10) is a one-toe-in-the-water course, intended for those who have no formal background whatever in the areas in which Rare Book School offers classes. Those with at least some background in the history of books and printing may wish to begin their Rare Book School careers with one of the courses in the three-course sequence, H-20, H-30, or H-40: Barbara Shailor’s The Book in the Manuscript Era, Printed Book in the West to 1800, or Eric Holzenberg’s Printed Book in the West since 1800. Most of the other courses offered in this area may reasonably be taken in any convenient order.
H-10. The History of the Book, 200-2000
John Buchtel and Mark Dimunation
A kaleidoscopic survey, from manuscript to print to hypertext, supported by original materials wherever possible, aimed at those who have had no previous formal exposure to the history of the book and who want a broad, introductory overview of the subject. This course will be organized around major format changes and technological transitions in book production, and their cultural impact. The course will introduce some theoretical issues in the current scholarship on the history of books, printing, authorship, and readership, but its focus will be on developing an understanding of and appreciation for the book as material object.
This course aims to provide an introductory vocabulary and a structure for students who wish to explore the history of books and printing. Topics include: the introduction of the manuscript codex, the growth of literate culture, the invention of movable type and the impact of printing on scholarship, science, and religion, the distribution and marketing of books, the rise of a reading public, the shift from hand- to machine-powered printing, and the move from printed to electronic formats. Classroom instruction will emphasize giving students the opportunity to see and handle a broad range of books, prints, bindings, and printing equipment from the extensive Rare Book School teaching collections.
In their personal statement, applicants should describe the nature of their developing interest in the subject. Please note that this course is aimed at those at the beginning of their formal study of the history of books and printing; applications from those who have already taken other RBS courses will generally be discouraged. (If you have taken other Rare Book School courses but still would like to take this one, please explain your reasons in your personal statement.)
H-15. The History of the Book in America
Michael Winship
A survey of the role of the book in American society and culture from colonial times to the second half of the c20. The course will first examine the early trans-Atlantic trade in books, the beginning and early years of local American book production, and the place of books in colonial American life. The focus will then shift to the establishment of a national book trade in an expanding United States during the industrial era. Topics to be investigated include the industrialization and mechanization of book production, methods of bookselling and distribution, and the rise of authorship in the United States. Finally, c20 developments will be discussed, including the introduction of book clubs as well as mass and trade paperbacks, the role of literary agents, the rise of the best seller, and the purchase of trade publishing houses by multi-national conglomerates.
This course is intended for students broadly interested in the history of the book in America, but who have little formal training or exposure to the subject. In their personal statement, applicants are encouraged to 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.
H-20. The Book in the Manuscript Era
Barbara A. Shailor
An introduction to the MS book in the West from late antiquity to the beginning of the c16. Topics include: the coming of the codex form, and its materials and construction; the monastic book; national scripts (Insular, Visigothic, Beneventan, &c.) and Carolingian developments; changes in handwriting and decorative styles; the Bible trade; the rise of the universities, the trade in non-religious books and the pecia system; the growth of literacy and the production of vernacular manuscripts; book illumination and new fashions in deluxe MSS; the Renaissance revival of the classical tradition; the transition from manuscript to printed book; manuscript books as cultural artifacts. This is the first course in a three-part sequence that includes The Printed Book in the West to 1800 (H-30) and The Printed Book in the West since 1800 (H-40).
This course is intended for those who seek a general overview of the MS book in Europe. The course is aimed at beginners, but the instructor will assume that students have a general knowledge of European history during the period covered. Some knowledge of Latin or a modern foreign language would be useful, but not necessary.
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.
H-25. 15th-Century Books in Print and Manuscript
Paul Needham & William Noel
The use of a wide variety of evidence -- paper, parchment, type, script, rubrication and illumination, bindings, ownership marks, and annotations -- can shed light both on questions of analytical bibliography and on 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 manuscripts and early printing.
This course is intended to serve as a general introduction to bibliographical analysis. Its examples and methods are primarily derived from c15 manuscripts and printed books at the Walters Art Museum, as this is a period commonly overlooked or only summarily treated by the standard guides. Note that this course is not a general historical introduction to manuscripts or 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 Rare Book School’s Introduction to Descriptive Bibliography or its equivalent. Because many of the books studied will be in Latin, some familiarity with the language will be an advantage. In their personal statement, applicants should indicate the extent of their proficiency with descriptive bibliography and with Latin.
H-30. The Printed Book in the West to 1800
Martin Antonetti
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 sequence, The Book in the Manuscript Era (H-20) and The Printed Book in the West since 1800 (H-40).
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.
H-40. The Printed Book in the West since 1800
Eric Holzenberg
This course will survey the technological advances in papermaking, illustration processes, composition, printing, binding, and distribution which fueled the development of the modern book industry. It will also give an overview of those phenomena -- William Morris and the modern fine press movement, artists’ books, the rise of book-clubs and organized bibliophily -- which have arisen to balance this industrialization. The January 2005 class, which will be based at the Grolier Club on East 60th Street in New York City, will make extensive use both of the Club’s strong collections on the art and history of the book and of various RBS pedagogical materials. Course visits are planned to the New York Public Library, Bowne & Co. Stationers at the South Street Seaport, and other NYC institutions for offsite sessions on artists’ books, practical printing, and other aspects of book history. This course concludes the RBS sequence of history of the book courses beginning with The Book in the Manuscript Era (H-20) and continuing with The Printed Book in the West to 1800 (H-30).
The course is intended for those with a strong native interest, but little formal study, in the art and history of the modern book. 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.
H-45. Printing, Publishing, and Consuming Texts in Britain, 1770-1919
Simon Eliot
This survey of the history of the book and the book trade in Britain will study the changes in text production made possible by the Industrial Revolution; the emergence of the modern publisher and publishing system; the transformation of the ways in which texts were distributed; and the evidence we have for the ways in which printed and manuscript texts were consumed. A feature of this course will be the opportunity to revisit some great literary texts in the light of book history, and to see canonical literature as both shaping and being shaped by the economic and social culture of the book.
Each day of the course will be devoted to a phase within the period (1770s-1810s, 1810s-1840s, 1840s-1870s, 1870s-1890s, 1890s-1919). Each phase will be studied through a selection of authors, of publishers, of books and periodicals; through an example of popular publishing; and through an example of a characteristic technology of the period. Each phase will also have a characteristic book price whose significance -- to contemporary authors, publishers and readers -- will be discussed. For example, in Day 3 (1840s-1870s) we shall study some of the works of Dickens and Tennyson as our authors, and look at the production of Bradbury & Evans and John Camden Hotten as publishers. Books studied will include the Catalogue of the Great Exhibition of 1851 and Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and we shall look at the Illustrated London News and Punch as our periodicals. Popular publishing will be represented by yellowback detective fiction. The critical technology we shall discuss will be stereotype. Finally, the significant book price chosen for this phase is two shillings, and the importance of the cheapening of books in Britain and its Empire will be illustrated by the growing use of this low price.
Students will not be expected to have read the literary texts referred to, but the benefit they gain from the course is likely to increase if they have at least some acquaintance with the following writers, all of whom will be referred to within their book history context: Samuel Johnson, Jane Austen, Scott, Byron, Dickens, Tennyson, Trollope, Swinburne, Thomas Hardy, George Gissing, H. G. Wells and W. B. Yeats.
H-50. The American Book in the Industrial Era, 1820-1940
Michael Winship
Manufacturing methods, distribution networks, and publishing patterns introduced in the United States during the industrial era. There will be hands-on sessions in which students examine and describe books produced during the period, providing an introduction to analytical and bibliographical practice. Students will also have the opportunity to discuss their own research projects with the instructor and class members.
This course will focus on the production, distribution, and reception of books in the United States during the industrial era, though British practice will be discussed as relevant. It is aimed at scholars, catalogers, collectors, and others whose interest or research is concerned with the history of the American book in the United States during the industrial era. As part of the course, students will have an opportunity to examine bibliographical and other reference works -- as well as photocopies of primary materials -- useful to the study of books published during this period, and they will be introduced to relevant bibliographical practice and convention (no prior knowledge of descriptive bibliography is required).
In their personal statement, applicants should briefly summarize their background in the field, current research projects, and topics or issues that they would particularly like the course to cover.
H-55. History of American Music Printing and Publishing
D. W. Krummel
An historical introduction intended both for those with institutional responsibilities for American printed music, and for collectors and scholars with a personal or professional interest in the subject. The course includes an overview of the history of music printing and publishing in the U.S. from its beginnings to about 1970. Topics include the crafts of printing and engraving music, and illustrating music covers; bibliographical description; distribution, as defined geographically and by medium; preservation; changing tastes, in repertories and in musical instruments (parlor piano, guitar), and reflecting the impact of European practices and styles and of the commercial forces of radio, movies, and other media. The course will be built around Rare Book School’s extensive collection of music printing surfaces and materials, and packets of original copies of sheet music arranged by topic.
Applicants should have a basic knowledge of music history and some fluency in reading music, as well as experience in work with original copies of American music. In their personal statements, applicants should describe their background and interest in the field, and mention topics they would particularly like the course to cover.
H-60. History of European and American Papermaking
Timothy Barrett and John Bidwell
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.
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.
H-65. Introduction to the History and Preservation of Maps
Instructor to be announced
This course is intended for those who seek a general overview of the technical and cultural aspects of the history of maps so these documents can be effectively understood and described as both artifacts and cultural texts. This course will consist of multimedia lectures, with workshop exercises using original materials. The first two days address questions related to the authenticity and physical quality of maps, globes, and atlases and how these were drawn, printed, and colored from pre-classical times to the pre-digital era. This section will build an introductory vocabulary and understanding of the map as artifact. The remaining days provide an overview of why maps, plans, views, and charts were made and how these objects were used historically: taxation; administration; warfare; wayfinding; and organizing geographical and cultural knowledge in both literal and metaphorical ways. Major format changes and technological transitions in mapmaking and their cultural impact will be discussed. The course will introduce some theoretical issues in the current scholarship on map history, but its focus will be on developing an appreciation for maps as material objects.
Although this course is intended to introduce map history, participants will derive most from the course if they have already been exposed to the problems in understanding maps and who might eventually take advanced courses in this subject at Rare Book School. Such participants might include rare book librarians, conservators, map librarians, map collectors, and map dealers.
In their personal statement, applicants should describe the nature of their developing interest in the history of the map, their expectations of the course, and the purposes to which they propose to put the knowledge gained from the course.
H-75. Printed Ephemera
Instructor to be announced
Underpinning this course is the view that ephemera deserve serious attention from cultural, social, and business 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.
The course will make use of ephemera owned by Rare Book School and by the University of Virginia Library. Several class sessions will focus on the work of printers of ephemera (e.g. John Soulby and William Kitchin) and companies who commissioned printing on a large scale (e.g. 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.
H-80. The Stationers’ Company and the London Book Trade to 1830 (new course)
Ian Gadd & Michael Turner
The Stationers’ Company, founded in 1403 and incorporated in 1557, dominated London’s trade in printed books during the c16 and c17; following the loss of its London-only monopoly over printing in 1695, its regulatory powers diminished, but it retained a vital role in the life of the London trade. Among its members can be counted nearly all of London’s leading printers and publishers, and its roster also includes thousands of lesser-known men and women in the trade: type-founders, compositors, printers, publishers, booksellers, and bookbinders. This course will survey the shifting role and character of the Stationers’ Company up to about 1830. Rather than adopting a purely chronological perspective, the instructors will take a thematic approach in order to trace the Company’s changes and continuities over the centuries. Topics include: the Company’s structure, corporate identity, regulatory powers, and membership; the Stationers’ Register and other records; the ‘English Stock’; the Company’s relationship with authors; its relationship with other London companies as well as city and national authorities; and its corporate identity.
H-90. Teaching the History of the Book
Terry Belanger & Daniel Traister
Aimed at academics and librarians who are currently teaching undergraduate or graduate courses dealing with the history of books and printing, this course will emphasize not history but pedagogy. It will compare a number of different approaches, including (but not only) printing history as the history of technology, history of art, intellectual history, business history, descriptive and historical bibliography, the dissemination of texts and their reception. The course will consider the varieties of currently available print and (especially) non-print resources available to instructors and students in the field.
This course will investigate different ways of thinking about, designing, and conducting a course on the history of the book. It is a course, not on the history of books and printing, but on the teaching of that subject.
Three assumptions inform the plan of this course: (1) the current realities of pedagogy in the academy define the context in which such courses must be conceptualized and practiced; (2) the distinction between history of the book courses directed at undergraduate and graduate students is fundamental; and (3) the range of resources available for such courses is both large and -- primarily as a result of the Web -- growing. The first purpose will be the assessment of some of the strengths and weaknesses of differing approaches to the subject. The second purpose will be the investigation of resources available to teachers and students in this field. Rare Book School’s extensive collection of resources for teaching the history of the book will play an integral role in this course. The third purpose is to help teachers planning or already engaged in teaching history-of-books-and-printing courses to find additional techniques or approaches that may help such courses to be more productive and enjoyable for student and teacher alike.
The intention is to consider the options and resources open to instructors -- whether full- or part-time academics or librarians, or others -- who are either currently engaged in teaching such a course, or who will begin doing so in the coming academic year. In their personal statement, applicants should describe the courses they are (or will be) teaching, preferably enclosing three copies of their course syllabus.