The Printed Book in the West since 1800

Course Description

This course will survey the technological advances in papermaking, illustration processes, composition, printing, binding, and distribution that 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—that have arisen to balance this industrialization. The class will make extensive use of books and periodicals embodying the advance of printing in the West since 1800, as well as the plates, tools, and other artifacts that enabled that advance. 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.

Faculty

Eric Holzenberg

Eric Holzenberg is Director Emeritus of the Grolier Club in New York City. He is the author of The Middle Hill Press (1997). He has taught a version of H-40 …

Advance Reading List

Required Reading

• Gaskell, Philip. A New Introduction to Bibliography. Winchester & New Castle, DE: St. Paul’s Bibliographies & Oak Knoll Press, 1995. Any edition of this title from 1974 or later will be fine; avoid the uncorrected 1972 edition. Read pp. 189–310 on “Book Production: The Machine-Press Period, 1800-1950;” if you have time, a review of “Book Production: The Hand-Press Period, 1500–1800” (pp. [5]–185) will be useful in providing historical context.
• Steinberg, S. H. Five Hundred Years of Printing. New edition, revised by John Trevitt. London & New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press & The British Library, 1996. Revised edition preferred. Read Chap. III–V, pp. 137–250.
• Rota, Anthony. Apart From the Text. Ravelston & New Castle, DE: Private Libraries Association & Oak Knoll Press, 1998.

Suggested Reading

• Cave, Roderick. The Private Press, Second edition, revised & enlarged. New York: R.R. Bowker, 1983. Out of print, and expensive ($30–$100) when found in the second-hand book trade, but still the best and most comprehensive survey of the private press movement. Find it and read it if you can, in any edition available.

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Course History