Early printed book – the medium of knowledge, the work of art, and the source for research 5100-GSDDK-OG

Lectures combined with the elements of a seminar and workshop aimed at students of various faculties, mainly humanities and arts, who may need to use early printed books during their future studies or scientific research. The classes aim to introduce the methods of working with original historical sources and familiarize students with the professional terminology used to describe this kind of artefacts (the obtained knowledge can be used, e. g., to publish papers, conduct classes and workshops or prepare exhibitions). During the classes, participants will acquire new information literacy skills concerning early printed books. The achieved knowledge will stimulate the development of their future research – the centuries-old books will be presented as objects requiring the multidisciplinary approach and as sources of information for various scientific fields. Many aspects of an early printed book will be presented: its role as a cultural phenomenon, carrier of intellectual content (expressing the trends and tastes of the past centuries), work of art, part of national cultural heritage, scientific challenge, object of conservation, political problem (transferred collections, so-called Berlinka) and as a catalogued document. The greatest advantage of the course is the opportunity to work with original historical objects in the place of their storage - University of Warsaw Library.

During the course, the following issues will be discussed:

• Early printed books – geographical and chronological frames, terminology. Their place among special collections in Poland and abroad. The most important world collections. Storage and access policy.
• Databases, catalogues, and bibliographies of early printed books. The differences between bibliographical and provenance description. How to “track” the particular edition on-line?
• The morphology of early printed book – multidimensionality and multifunctionality. The role of paratexts (introductions, prefaces, dedication letters), commentaries, printed marginalia, tables of contents, indexes. Title page, colophon, illustrations, bibliographical format.
• History of print in a nutshell.
• Illustration in early printed book. Various graphic techniques: xylograph, woodcut, copperplate, etching. Graphic representation versus painting and drawing – the question of the prototype.
• material evidence (copy specific information). Manuscript notes as a source for studies on the reception of early modern texts. The typology of handwritten marginalia by the example of Material Evidence of Incunabula (MEI) database.
• Bookbinding. From cover to cover. What can be found inside the binding? Tooling, gilding, and gauffering – the signs of a wealthy owner. The ownership mark tooled in blind on the cover called supralibros.

Type of course

general courses

Mode

Classroom

Course coordinators

Izabela Wiencek-Sielska

Learning outcomes

KNOWLEDGE
Student:
Know the important processes and problems connected with the history of printing.
Knows the impact of printing on early modern culture (and vice versa)
Is aware of the current state of knowledge concerning early printed books and knows the research issues of special interest to professionals
Knows how and where to search for reliable information on early printed books.

SKILLS
Student:
Can name individual elements of early printed book in accordance with the professional terminology.
Is familiarized with the morphology of early printed books and the artefacts themselves – they can discuss them properly and substantively.
Can use thematic catalogues and online databases .

COMPETENCES
Student:
Understands the multidimensionality of early printed book and have the ability to judge it from different perspectives.
Have an expanded view on early modern culture

Assessment criteria

Attendance, active participation, carrying out homework.

Bibliography

Bieńkowska, B. (2005). Książka na przestrzeni dziejów. Warszawa.
Bieńkowska, B. (2012). II wojna światowa: wstępny bilans strat bibliotek polskich. Cenne, Bezcenne, Utracone, 3/72. (10–11). http://cennebezcenne.pl/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/CBU_2012_3-s-10-11_BIENKOWSKA.pdf
Birenmajer, A., red. (1971). Encyklopedia wiedzy o książce. Wrocław.
Buchwald-Pelcowa, P. (1997). Cenzura w dawnej Polsce. Między prasą drukarską a stosem, Warszawa.
Cappelli, A. (1979). Dizionario di abbreviature latine ed italiane. Milano.
Dondi, C. (2018). Printing r-evolution 1450-1500: i cinquant'anni che hanno cambiato l'Europa (catalogue of the exhibition). Venice.
Eisenstein, E. (2004). Rewolucja Gutenberga. Warszawa.
Estreicher, K. (1891–). Bibliografia polska. Cz. 3 – stulecie XV-XVIII. Kraków. https://www.estreicher.uj.edu.pl/home/
Febvre, L., Martin, H.-J. (2014). Narodziny książki. Warszawa.
Houston, K. (2017). Książka. Najpotężniejszy przedmiot naszych czasów zbadany od deski do deski. Kraków.
Jackson, H.J. (2001). Marginalia: Readers Writing in Books, New Haven and London.
Jazdon, A. (2002). Zbiory specjalne – luksus czy narodowy obowiązek? [w:] Jazdon, A., Chachlikowska, A. (red.). Stan i potrzeby polskich bibliotek uczelnianych. Materiały z ogólnopolskiej konferencji naukowej Poznań 13–15 listopada 2002 (149–170). Poznań.
Krzak-Weiss, K. (2006). Polskie sygnety drukarskie od XV do połowy XVII wieku. Poznań.
Mieczkowska, H. (oprac.) (2007, 2011). Format Marc21 rekordu bibliograficznego dla starych druków. Warszawa. https://centrum.nukat.edu.pl/images/files/instrukcje_procedury/MARC_21/marc21_staredruki_130711.pdf
Ocieczek, R. (1990). O literackiej ramie wydawniczej w książkach dawnych. Katowice.
Orgel, S. (2015). The Reader in the Book – A Study of Spaces and Traces. Oxford.
Pearson, D. (2005). Provenance and rare book cataloguing: its importance and its challenges, w: CERL Papers V. London.
Pearson, D. (2010), The Importance of the Copy Census as a Methodology in Book History [w:] Early Printed Books as Material Objects. Berlin, New York.
Pearson, D. (2007). What Can We Learn by Tracking Multiple copies of Books? [w:] Books on the Move. London.
Pirożyński, J. (2002). Johannes Gutenberg i początki ery druku. Warszawa.
Dondi, C., ed. (2018). Printing r-evolution 1450-1500. I cinquant'anni che hanno cambiato l'Europa (katalog wystawy). Venice.
Sipayłło, M. (1975). O metodzie badań proweniencyjnych starych druków. Z Badań nad Polskimi Księgozbiorami Historycznymi, 1, 9–30.
Szwejkowska, H. (1983). Książka drukowana XV-XVIII wieku. Zarys historyczny. Wrocław.
Talbierska, J. (2011). Grafika XVII wieku w Polsce: funkcje, ośrodki, artyści, dzieła. Warszawa.
Tomaszewski, J. (2018). Oprawa książkowa w Polsce 1450-1600. Warszawa.
Wagner, A. (2017). Superekslibris polski. Studium o kulturze bibliofilskiej i sztuce od średniowiecza do połowy XVII wieku, Toruń.
Żbikowska-Migoń, A., Skalska-Zlat, M., red. (2017). Encyklopedia książki. Wrocław.

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

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Description of 5100-GSDDK-OG in USOSweb