Introduction to Historical Bibliography

This introduction to historical bibliography covers all aspect of the mechanics of hand-press printing and assumes no prior knowledge. Focussed primarily on the early press, the introductory session will cover type, paper, composition, imposition, press work, decoration and illustration, book binding and book selling. The second part of the session will be a hands-on class using material from Leeds University's cultural collections. Attendees will handle and discuss printed books in light of the earlier discussion, identifying features introduced by the press, but also learning how to read the books as material objects.