CLS 50 — The History of the Book, 1050-1800
Spring
Thursdays
7:00—8:50 pm
Date(s)
Mar 31—May 19
8 weeks
Drop By
Apr 13
1 Units
Fees
$360
Format
On-campus course
Limit 21
Closed
In this course, which meets in Stanford’s Special
Collections at the Green Library, we will utilize
Stanford’s extensive antiquarian holdings to study the
emergence of the printed book in the 15th century,
follow its spread from Germany to the rest of continental
Europe and England, and examine the book as it
developed in the Renaissance right on through the 18th
century. Topics will include the abiding value of the
book as an artifact (we will look at bindings, formats,
typography, provenance, and marginalia); the manuscript
traditions that preceded the invention of movable
type; Renaissance printing and humanism; book illustration
(woodcut and intaglio processes); and the major
printers, typographers, and illustrators of both continental
and English printing. Each student will have the
opportunity to handle the antiquarian materials used
each week.
This course is intended for those with an interest in antiquarian books and printing history; no special background is required.
John Mustain, Curator of Rare Books, Stanford University Libraries
John Mustain joined the Stanford Libraries in 1980 and the Department of Special Collections in 1996. His interests include the illustrated book, early printed books, and the Book Arts Revival in Great Britain. He received an MLS in library science from UC Berkeley and an MTS in medieval studies from Harvard.Textbooks for this course:
(Recommended) David Finkelstein and Alistair McCreery, An Introduction to Book History., 2nd Edition, 1913 (ISBN 041568806X)
(Required) David Finkelstein and Alistair McCreery, eds., The Book History Reader, 2nd ed. 2006 (ISBN 0415359481)
(Required) David Finkelstein and Alistair McCreery, eds., The Book History Reader, 2nd ed. 2006 (ISBN 0415359481)