Author Description

What perceptions did people have of printed material after its introduction into England? How did these perceptions determine their own practices in dealing with books and documents, as producers and consumers? In Manuscript and Print in London c.1475-1530, Julia Boffey explores the evolving relationship of Londoners with handwritten manuscripts and printed material after William Caxton's establishment of a printing business at Westminster in 1476. Drawing from a wide range of surviving materials from the period, Boffey approaches textual production from the points of view of readers and writers, investigating the choices they made and shedding light on the different ways that both adapted to the availability of the new technology. Copiously illustrated with images from manuscripts and printed books, this volume will break new ground in the growing area of scholarship on print culture and the history of the book. -- Publisher.