Early modern books are material objects that contain a wealth of information about their makers and users. By adopting an archaeological approach, their study can reveal vital information about the production of an edition (bibliographical and commercial details, but also choices and accidents in the printer’s workshop), as well as details specific to a copy that was customised for and by its owner: choice of binding and decoration, provenances, annotations, as well as traces of dirt and damage.
Thanks to this knowledge, the participants will be better equipped to describe a book correctly but also to understand its production and circulation contexts, as well as the different stages of its life, from the workshop that produced it and its first buyers, to its current situation on the shelves of a library.
This course is especially suitable for PhD-students and early career researchers who want to specialise in the study of early modern books, as well as for curators and cataloguers who work with rare books. It requires a basic knowledge in book history and material bibliography and some previous experience with handling and working with old books.
Instructor:
Malcolm Walsby is professor of book history at the French National Library and Information Science School, Enssib, in Lyon. He is director of the Gabriel Naudé research centre, and co-founder of the Universal Short Title Catalogue. He is the author of a number of monographies and articles on history and the history of the book in Europe during the Renaissance, the latest being Booksellers and Printers in Provincial France 1470–1600 (Brill, 2021), Winner of the 2021 SCSC Bainton Prize for Reference Works. He currently coordinates the international research network Sammelband 15-16, devoted to the material study of printed volumes and book collections.
Practical information:
The course will consist of 15 hours of teaching (5 sessions) for a small group (max. 15 people) with hands-on work on rare books from the collections of the Allard Pierson and an excursion to another Amsterdam heritage library. Registration fee includes course material and coffee breaks, as well as a welcome drink. It does not include meals, housing or travel arrangements.
Schedule:
Monday 1 & Tuesday 2 September 2025: 9:30-16:30
Wednesday 3 September 2025: 9:30-12:30