31: Book Illustration Processes to 1890 [I-20]
6-10 June 2005
1) How useful were the pre-course readings?
1: I read all of the Gascoigne text, and even though it was a bit overwhelming to this novice, I don’t know that I could have survived day one without having done so. 2: Crucial to having a base from which to start. 3: Gascoigne is very helpful, but difficult to assimilate. 4: The pre-course readings are essential! I wish I had taken time to do additional reading. 5: Very useful; reading the book helped me to get use to the names of the various illustration processes. 6: Perfectly, as some books were used for reference during course. 7: How To Identify Prints by Bamber Gascoigue was among the best art books I have read. 8: Very useful! 9: Very useful. Gascoigne very informative and readable. 10: Necessary. 11: Read Gascoigne; didn’t make much of a dent in the other book. Will need to read Gascoigne again. 12: Most useful.
2) Were the course syllabus and other materials distributed in class useful (or will they be so in the future, after you return home)?
1: Very useful. They helped me keep the very dense information straight, and I’ll use them to sort out the information further when I go home. 2: The booklet is great and with my notes should be an excellent resource. 3: I will continue to utilize the syllabus and my class notes. Distribution of the syllabus in advance might have been helpful. 4: Yes, and I will use them in the future. 5: They were useful in class, and I imagine that I will refer to them in the future, especially the time line. 6: Yes. 7: Yes and will be a good source of review. 8: Very useful with plenty of room to take notes. The bibliography is amazing. 9: Yes, excellent. 10: Yes. The handouts and my decorated workbook will help me immensely. 11: Yes. 12: Yes. Excellent.
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: Yes, and Terry Belanger’s c19 hilarious and cosmopolitan stories (and comments) were appreciated. 2: Of greatest interest to me was discussion of c19 book illustration processes as they pertain to my collecting area of interest. 3: The packets/illustrations exhibited in class were of greatest relevance. Without actual examples the course would have been too abstract. 4: I was most interested on hand press techniques, but all of the content is relevant for my purposes. Intellectual level was fine. 5: Looking at the prints to see the visual effects of the various processes. The labs were also good; they helped me to understand the various stages. 6: General introduction to these processes probably suited my work needs. Of greatest interest, the opportunity to evaluate multiple prints, gain some greater appreciation for them (particular processes), and the lab components. 7: Examination of the actual prints was the most essential element. 8: Everything was pertinent (all methods and dates covered). 9: All aspects interesting and relevant. Level of course appropriately challenging. 10: The early stuff: woodcuts/engravings. Intellectual level is quite high. 11: Learning to identify and differentiate the processes. Yes, very appropriate. 12: The labs and packets. Most appropriate; sometimes too high, but then I soared.
5) What did you like best about the course?
1: The knowledge gained. 2: The opportunity to learn in a stimulating atmosphere and see examples and handle them. 3: The broad erudition and obvious enthusiasm of the instructor. 4: I liked the opportunity to see examples and the processes while the process was explained. 5: Looking at the prints. 6: I think the course is terrifically well organized with local RBS resources, labs in certain printmaking processes, and TB’s knowledge of these processes and in the history of the book more broadly. TB was, also, in terrific form and brings a sense of humor to the discussions. 7: Seeing the real thing. 9: The numerous examples available for direct inspection. 10: The gradual ability to see what TB (and GB) conceptually describe! 11: TB’s knowledge and sense of humor and seeing examples of everything. Learning the processes by doing was fun and educational! 12: The Man at the Helm.
6) How could the course have been improved?
1: No way. 2: I was going to suggest not making the relief block or having a simple design, but it was character building and an illustrative example I’ll not soon forget. 3: The linoleum woodcut took considerable time that made participation in RBS evening functions more difficult. Greater space to examine materials. 4: More time! It would be useful to have more comparisons between techniques. 5: More instruction on how to cut the linoleum block would have made the task less frustrating. 6: Not sure. Seems well prepared and balanced. It is a lot to take in if untrained. 7: I suggest developing a flip book type of key to print identification to use with a yes/no format (see various biology keys to algae idas sources for format). 8: More opportunities to ask questions while interacting with the materials. 9: If time could permit, perhaps small group identification exercises would have been helpful. 10: Occasionally, give over to deliberate q and a periods. 11: Larger tables. Being able to compare processes that could be confusing. It was some times difficult to control all the items on the table. 12: It was a perfect introduction by immersion; now I’ve a critical eye for future looking and reading.
7) We are always concerned about the physical well-being both of the RBS teaching collections and of materials owned by UA’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: None. 2: Larger tables, so that we have adequate space to lay things out, and not contaminate the packets. 3: Greater space for examination. 4: The collections and materials were handled appropriately. More room would be appreciated by all! 6: Seemed appropriate. 7: Use computer to display more ProScope images of examples.. 10: Maybe, a bit more space at tables; 3 instead of 4 students per table. 12: A little more table/desk space would help!
8) If you attended the Sunday and/or Monday night lectures, were they worth attending?
1: Yes. 2: Yes, the map lecture was very worthwhile. 3-6: Yes. 7: Yes, especially the Monday lecture on American mapping. 8: Yes, each was very informative. 9: Yes, both. 10: Yes, mostly for mind set transfer to RBS. Monday morning the tone was set. Monday night lecture was theoretically quite lite. 11: Yes. Both very good. 12: Yes.
9) If you attended Museum Night, was the time profitably spent?
1: Yes. 2: A nice change of pace; we only attended the demo night however. 3: Very good, not superlative. 4: No. 6: Skipped in favor of labor on a linoleum block. 8-9: Yes. 11: Yes, Sir Joseph Banks documentary interesting as was seeing the stuff. 12: Yes.
10) 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: Yes. Thanks so much. I’ve come away with many ideas for further projects. 2: Be sure to prepare (read the material) and don’t plan a lot of extracurricular activities. With that said, it was well worth the time and monetary commitment. The class, to me, was intense, engrossing, humbling and ultimately extremely productive. 3: Definitely! I am enthusiastic about my experience and definitely plan on attending many further RBS courses. 4: Yes! 6: Yes. Highly recommended. 7: Absolutely! 8: It was money well spent. 9: Yes. Do as much careful reading as possible beforehand. 10: Absolutely. This is my 3rd RBS. What shall I take next? Thanks TB. 11: Yes. Read Gascoigne. Maybe try to look at some examples before coming to class (simply by looking at c19 books and magazines). 12: Absolutely.
Number of respondents: 12
Percentages
Leave Tuition Housing Travel
Institution Institution Institution Institution
gave me leave paid tuition paid housing paid travel
58% 58% 58% 46%
I took vaca- I paid tui- I paid for my I paid my own
tion time tion myself own housing travel
0% 34% 34% 46%
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 exchange home
42% 8% 8% 8%
There were two rare book librarians (17%), two general librarians (17%), two teacher/professors (17%), two retired persons (17%), and one each (8%) archivist/manuscript librarian, collector, antiquarian bookseller, and full-time student.