Course Length: 30 hours
Course Week: 2–7 June 2024
Format: in person, University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA
Fee: $1,395

This course will focus on bound, printed works in the West from the eighteenth century, when all paper was made by hand, through the nineteenth century when the introduction of two machines—the fourdrinier and the cylinder—changed the manufacture of paper and some of its characteristics. In addition to learning about traditional hand- and machine-papermaking materials and technologies, participants will apply what is taught in lectures directly to the examination and identification of a wide variety of papers found in bound artifacts. The focus of the course is examining paper as bibliographical evidence. Thus, the study of papermaking technologies will be approached through the lens of learning how paper can help in determining book-printing format. Additionally, participants who deal primarily with unbound artifacts, such as maps and fine prints, will find this course very helpful in describing a variety of papers.

To augment the lecture components of the course, participants will spend the equivalent of one day forming sheets of paper by hand, examining them, and discussing them. In addition, there will be discussion sessions and opportunities for handling and analyzing a range of artifacts including books, paper samples, and paper production tools, all of which will enhance participants’ abilities to identify a wide variety of papers.

While no hands-on experience with papermaking or printing is required, applicants should have some knowledge about the history of books, especially regarding their materiality.