From Compositors to Collectors

Book excerpt: The essays in this collection trace texts from their creation and printing through to their publication, dissemination, and collection. In doing so, they show how production processes change texts and how collectors subsequently appropriate them for their own ends. By examining the diverse activities of those involved in both textual creation and collection over a long period, these essays highlight both continuities and changes in the book trade. Taken together, this collection offers considerable new insights into many facets of the book trade, ranging from creation to consumption. This newest addition to the Print Networks series includes nineteen essays from leading book history scholars, including Mariko Nagase, Daniel Cook, Stephen Brown, Brian Hillyard, Catherine Delafield, Rob Allen, Rachel Bower, Iain Beavan, and more. The "compositors" section covers everything from The Mayor of Quinborough, published in 1661, to My Name is Salma, published in 2007. Essays on "collectors" include Dr. James Fraser, Titus Wheatcroft, Sir Walter Scott, the USA Armed Services, and more. The book is illustrated throughout in black and white. Available in the UK from The British Library.