INQ-277 | Creating Late Medieval and Early Modern Book Media

Topic Description:

What do manuscript- and early print-cultures have to do with the spread of scientific and religious ideas? How is information encoded on a manuscript leaf? How do print- and manuscript styles help in dating and location identification? In this class, students will learn to identify and copy basic manuscript hands, identify stylistic features to assist in dating manuscripts, and study the history of early printing in Paris and Lyon. Students will make stylistically accurate manuscript leaves, an electronic font, experiment with moveable type to create a printed page, and create a proposal for a book-arts lab at Roanoke College. We will investigate the history, tools and techniques of French medieval manuscript culture and Early Modern print culture. Course includes two field trips to UVa Special Collections and two “scriptorium experiences” on campus. Students must have access to a private (non-lab) computer on which they must install FontCreator software.

Course Types Offered: On-Campus

Topic Approved: December 2014