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<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nAs part of my Early Modern MA History course\u00a0at King\u2019s College London, I had the opportunity to become an intern\u00a0in the Foyle Special Collections Library, working with their incunabula collection. Incunabula is the term used to refer to books printed before 1501.<\/p>\n
My interest in studying incunabula revolved closely around the invention of the printing press, and the recurring argument that it was the development from manuscript to print which sparked the transition from the medieval period into early modernity. This argument was always in the back of my mind throughout the experience and helped my engagement with the source material.<\/p>\n
Studying the early origins of the printing press led me into new territory and provided a new means of answering the all-encompassing early modernist question of where the progression towards modernity began. My historical period of interest is usually the\u00a016th century. Thus, it was enlightening to have access to both late medieval and early modern sources to evaluate and determine this change for myself.<\/p>\n
The core task of the internship was to study the provenance of the incunabula books in the collection, and to update the information on the CERL (Consortium of European Research Libraries)\u00a0Material Evidence\u00a0in Incunabula<\/a> database. The purpose of MEI\u00a0is to\u00a0create a map\u00a0tracing how incunabula\u00a0have travelled across Europe throughout the centuries. The history of each book begins from the place of printing and ends with how they became housed in their current institutions.<\/p>\n I was invited to a training day at the British Library where I spent the day learning how to use the database and discussing my findings with the curators also present. I found the experience to be rewarding as I acquired new skills and had the opportunity to discuss my research and ideas.<\/p>\n The purpose of the internship was to work closely with the incunabula collection by analysing and researching the provenance of the books. When studying incunabula, the provenance of a book is of great interest. From hand-written notes to illustrations, what may first appear as a book lover’s nightmare, becomes an absolute dream when studying the ownership history of incunabula.\u00a0The marks can lead\u00a0one down a variety of historical pathways and provide as many new questions\u00a0as answers. The printing press revolutionised the early modern world\u00a0but the blemishes left behind on these works from past owners can also often hold\u00a0evidence and history themselves.<\/p>\n Nixon\u2019s original theory was that the seal was a printer\u2019s mark, added to the batch of paper before printing took place. However, in his following letter, the red residue of wax found above the seal disproves his theory. The wax is covering the printed text, suggesting it would have had to have been made after printing had taken place.<\/p>\n This red residue of wax\u00a0asks\u00a0questions\u00a0regarding the provenance of the book and the\u00a0purpose of the seal. Though these letters may not be part of the book itself, they contribute to the rich tapestry of its history. After these letters there is no evidence of a further correspondence, and\u00a080 years have passed since Nixon\u2019s responses and the seal remains a mystery, with numerous questions having yet to be solved. Is the seal a printer\u2019s mark after all, and the spilled wax above was made on a later date, or was a previous owner practising their own seal?<\/p>\n From the research I accumulated on the provenance of incunabula, I was asked to contribute towards the curation of an exhibition: The printed page: the work of the printer over the past 500 years<\/em>, alongside members of Special Collections staff. The purpose of my contribution was to introduce the incunabula collection and the first age of printing with moveable type,\u00a0to fellow students, staff and visitors to the exhibition.<\/p>\n This experience allowed me to\u00a0showcase my research and share my new found understanding, whilst learning the skills needed to curate exhibitions. It also allowed for me to work closely with the Special Collections staff, and gain insight into their specific areas of study. The exhibition is currently on display in the Maughan Library, Weston Room.<\/p>\n<\/a>For example, on the 63rd leaf of\u00a0Special Collections copy of the 1497\u00a0Hortus sanitatis<\/em> <\/a>is a wax seal, which is unusual in nature and placement. The mystery of the seal was further interrogated\u00a0when two letters, dated 12 and 15 January 1948, were discovered at the back of the book. The letters show correspondence between a former owner,\u00a0Dr Fleming and Howard Nixon of the British Museum, discussing the provenance of the seal.<\/p>\n