LSP 351: Honors Seminar in the Humanities / ENG 356: Special Topics in Literature II
"Technology of the book, 1500-1900"
January 30: Introduction to Bibliography
The hand press and machine press periods
Entry description workshop
Leslie Howsam, The Cambridge Companion to the History of the Book
Study guides: Sojourner Truth, Phyllis Wheatley, Emma Goldman, Yolanda Bonhomme, Rosa May Biillinghurst, Ida B. Wells, Mary Seacole, Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer
February 6: 500 years of Women’s Work: The Lisa Unger Baskin Collection
Class meets at The Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street between Madison & Park Avenues!
Complete and post your study guide PDFs by Sunday night at 10 pm on Blackboard’s “Discussion Board.”
Read all other study guides after Sunday evening, before your visit.
Buy (or arrange a bookshare for) our class textbook (Gaskell).
Watch this video and read about the exhibit (handout from class).
Read the Times article on The Grolier Club’s anniversary, “A Book Haven Turns 100”
February 13: Paper I
Post Grolier Club field report to Blackboard
February 20: Paper II
Quiz on Bibliography Basics from Class 1 moved to this week
Just for fun: “Papr” video from The Colbert Show
In class: Continue Format project / Thank you notes
February 27: Type, Composition, & imposition
Read Gaskell 9-39, 40-56, 81-87, (Type, Composition, and Imposition) or McKerrow 6-24, 175-199, 288-318
Type report: research a font of your choice (from any era) and write up a one-page informational report.
Read a chapter of your choice from A.F. Johnso’n’s Type designs: Their History and Development: Introduction; Roman; Italics; Script; or Advertising Type
No Regular Class on Thursday.
Watch Videos:
Fonts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOgIkxAfJsk
A Brief History of Type: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XohCW4ecYyg
How to measure type:http://moodle.etcportal.org/mod/book/view.php?id=2297
Composition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iGqHIqBzis
Friday, March 6: New York International Antiquarian Book Fair
Class meets at 3pm at the Park Avenue Armory on 643 Park Avenue between 66th and 67th Streets at 4pm.
March 12: the center for book arts
Class meets at 28 West 27th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue at 3pm.
Field Report due on a bookstall from the NY Antiquarian Book Fair
March 19: Presswork, Bookbinding & illustration processes
Read Gaskell, 118-141 and 146-153 or McKerrow 38-72
Read Howsam, “Book History in the classroom”
Review your notes for a quiz on type and binding
Read Gaskell 145-159, 266-273 or McKerrow 109-120
Read all the other posted Field Reports from the Antiquarian Book Fair
Gutenberg Printing Press (inking):
March 26: Provenance & Collecting
Read Gaskell 189-265 or McKerrow 231-238
Read Leah Price, What We Mean When We Talk About Books and this review by Robert Patten
We’ll begin Digital Projects in class
April 2: PForzheimer Collection: Shelley and His Circle
Class meets at the NYPL Main Branch, Schwarzman Building at 475 Fifth Avenue, between 40th and 42nd Streets.
Spring Break: APRIL 8-16
Watch American Animals (2018 film)
Field report on an item from the Berg Collection due April 8
Friday, April 17: Christie’s fine books and manuscripts
Class meets in the lobby of 20 Rockefeller Plaza at 4 pm.
Information on the Christie's Books & Manuscripts department
April 30: Arthur Schwarz private collection
Cars leave from Goulden Ave outside Carman Hall at 6 pm
Field report on Christie’s trip due
May 7: Book Societies & Bibliographic institutions
Field report on one item from the Schwarz collection due
Read Gaskell 201-213
In class: The Machine Press Period (1800-1950); Exit Description Workshop
Digital Projects are due Sunday, May 10 at 10pm
May 14: Conclusions
Digital Project unveiling
Final Exam Review