Aaron T. Pratt

Galileo’s handwritten notes found in ancient astronomy text Discovery sheds new light on how famed astronomer came to lead a scientific revolution

Wild.

www.science.org/content/arti...

Have heard of it but not played. Sad to say that I've had a very hard time getting into video games in adulthood. Any good?

Priority applications came in, and it looks like Evidence in Handpress-Era Books, 1450–1830, will be nice and full.

BUT, I was willing to raise the cap to fifteen, meaning that I now have a couple of open spots, even without any attrition. Join me in Austin this June!

Didn't know that last bit—very cool!

Based on the Chippendale style, the George Kenyon who had the plate made would appear to be the 1702-1780 one. The boards, though, with their "Cambridge panel" design and chunky thistle cornerpieces look before 1740 or 50.

Two diagrams of oversewing methods. From Bernard Middleton, A History of English Craft Bookbinding Technique (London: Holland Press, 1988), p.24.

Very interesting. I think I'd need to see it in person to be sure, but it looks like an oversewing method along these lines.

What's most interesting to me is that the board style & the bookplate point to a date much more toward the middle of the 18th century than the late.

I’m curious when in the 18th century in particular this was done. Any chance you have a photo or two of the binding exterior?

What do the covers look like? And endleaves with watermarks that might (also) help with dating.

Oh wait, contemporary bindings. Not looked super carefully at more than a couple. But I recall stubs and, separately, the use of the left margin for a fold.

Creating folds by gluing into stubs or using a whipstitching/oversewing technique. The latter was used by fancy 19th/early 20th-c binders for all kinds of early books, better permitting copies with damaged/rebuilt inner margins and supplied leaves.

Fuck this shit.

Very kind! Really appreciate you watching.

Weak, contestants!

Thanks for the assist. Am terrible about tagging.

Dr. Ann Blair - How Renaissance Scholars and Printers Decided on the Size of Books YouTube video by Harry Ransom Center

If you missed Ann Blair’s @ransomcenter.bsky.social Pforzheimer Lecture last night, you can check it out on YouTube:

www.youtube.com/live/u16QHaI...

I think you’ll agree that it’s both sharp and a lot of fun.

In one hour!

Awesome—will be sure to introduce myself if/when I see you.

Will be at the Grolier Annual Meeting and all things @bibsocamer.bsky.social. Unfortunately can’t come out until Thursday AM so am missing the showcase the previous day.

Had no idea either. Boom.

Wise.

Crucial pun!

Ben's not wrong.

Haha—thanks! This one isn’t quite as evil as my DesBib one, but it has some tricks up its sleeve.

A somewhat spread out stack of stab-stitched (pamphlet-sewn) syllabuses for the course, How to Read an Old Book, 1450–1830. Viewed from above, on a wood table.

Tomorrow’s the first day of my grad seminar for @utaustin.bsky.social English, How to Read an Old Book, 1450–1830.

Just finished stitching up my syllabuses, which we’ll spend quite a bit of time with—as bibliographical objects—for the first half or so of the term.

(Also, I have no idea how I botched that first post so badly; gonna have to blame my phone.)

Because I'm a lunatic, I'll also be reprising my @calrbs.bsky.social seminar for the 3rd time in the summer, August 10–14: www.calrbs.org/descriptive-...

Schedules | Rare Book School

For the first time ever, @ransomcenter.bsky.social host @rarebookschool.bsky.social courses this summer, June 7–12:

L-165: Literary Manuscripts w/ Stephen Enniss & Megan Barnard (this will be excellent)

G-60: Evidence in Handpress-Era Books, 1450–1830 w/ yours truly

rarebookschool.org/schedule/

Happy New Year!

So grateful we didn’t have a damn written exam.

I feel like I have seen that symbol before in a ye olde book but not as a signature. I wonder what other book Grapheus printed that might have called for it.