A History of the Book

Course Code: 25MAT004V

This virtual workshop takes place on Thursdays, August 21st – September 11th, from 6:30PM to 8:30PM ET.

• Thursday, August 21st, from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET
• Thursday, August 28th, from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET
• Thursday, September 4th, from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET
• Thursday, September 11th, from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET

Registration for this workshop closes on August 7th at 11:59pm ET.

About the Workshop:

Beginning with an open discussion of distinct perspectives on how one should define a book and the “History of the Book” – it’s much harder than you think! – the following sessions will focus on a chronological overview of the primary means by which texts were created in both Asia and the West. As we move from ancient scrolls and illuminated manuscripts to hand-printed books and the revolutionizing innovations in the production of books of the nineteenth century, we will consider how these changes reflected and impacted their physical appearance, the demand for them, their accessibility, and readers’ interaction with them. We will then conclude with a return to our original attempts to define a book in consideration of the plethora of options produced, collected, and made available to us now in the twentieth century.

Required Materials:

There are no required materials for this workshop.

About the Instructor

Karen Bowen, is an art historian specialized in the study of printmaking, the production and illustration of books in the hand-press period, and the trade in prints and books in the early modern period. She routinely combines historical and archival research with a close examination of rare books and prints in order to better understand the historical record and how that is reflected in the objects we see before us.

Her publications address such topics as artists’ workshop practices, printmaking techniques and book illustration, collectors of prints and books, and the distribution networks and markets for illustrated books and prints in the early modern period.

Most recently she has taught courses for both Williams College and the graduate program in Library and Information Science at Long Island University.

All images courtesy of the instructor.