Illuminated Manuscripts and Their Makers Review

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(More customer reviews)As a collector of medieval manuscripts, I found this book a wonderful resource for studying and researching within my own manuscripts, as well as others in the world. It's a very colorful and illustrated book, with many magnified and enlarged photographs of manuscripts so that the reader can get a better look at details! I recommend this book to any person who already collects manuscripts, or anyone who is simply interested in them, and needs information. You will find great history and background information within the pages of this book, as well. The "exhibit" in this book displays some of the most beautiful and inspiring manuscripts from the Victoria and Albert Museum. All 25 have good information and great photographs so that the reader can get "up close" to these priceless manuscripts. My applause goes out to the author, Rowan Watson, for a job WELL DONE!

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The magnificent pages of medieval missals, books of hours, brevaries, and bibles sparkle with detail illuminating the world in which they were created. This splendid volume, featuring some of the finest illuminated masterpieces from the exceptional collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, details the remarkable collaboration and craftsmanship that went into the creation of these delicate treasures.Close-up details show the intricacies of the various techniques used to create these fragile and rarely seen works. By helping the reader to appreciate the individual elements of illumination--the initials, borders, illustrations, script, and binding--Rowan Watson brings the world of the scribes, illuminators, and book dealers to life, and sheds light on the cooperative religious communities in which many of them worked. Watson also looks at the survival of illumination after the printing press and its revival in the 19th century in the hands of such pioneering designers as Owen Jones and William Morris.

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The Calligrapher's Handbook Review

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(More customer reviews)This is probably the essential reference for calligraphers wanting to move beyond writing on paper and with randomly purchased inks.
Most books on calligraphy technique are largely devoted to lettering guides and some minimal instruction on materials. Not this one! The book contains a series of chapters written by acknowledged experts in the field.
This book is about gilding described in more detail, about cutting quills, about binding books, about preparing vellum. In short, about all those lovely calligraphy materials and techniques so often described in aggravating inadequacy in so many calligraphic how-to's.
Written well, that even the most fearful beginner can follow the instructions, this book is a boon for every calligrapher who wants to move beyond copying the ductus.

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Medieval Illuminators and Their Methods of Work Review

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(More customer reviews)whether you are interested in the typical lives, education, training, as well as social status of the people whose work became immortal or in the techniques and tools used to create the magnificent pages.. this is a well written and interesting read. beautiful photographs of works in various levels of completion, numerous countries, schools and eras combined with well researched documentation and critiques makes this book an excellent resource. focusing mainly on the creation of illumination and explaining the lives of those creating the page, covering multiple aspects of training, techniques and changing social status throughout the decades leads to an overall thorough understanding. you will walk away not only being able to understand the illuminated page, its signifigance and constructuion but also those who toiled to creatre it. whether an art history lover, in love with the illuminated page or interested in the lives of people who lived centuries ago this book is a wonderful addition to you personal library. i wish my art history books were this well written.

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The Palaeography of Gothic Manuscript Books: From the Twelfth to the Early Sixteenth Century (Cambridge Studies in Palaeography and Codicology) Review

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(More customer reviews)Great introduction to a variety of scripts that will be of use to beginners and advanced paleographers alike. Intelligently illustrated and well enough written to read straight through, but so sensibly organized that it makes a great reference work. Its intelligent use of the wealth of information provided in recent decades by the great catalogues of dated manuscripts will make it a standard work for years to come. My only possible reservation regards nomenclature. Derolez is a proponent of a modified version of the system of nomenclature advocated by Lieftinck and urges us not to use such standard terms as Gothic and Anglicana in the usual way. Since this is such a great book, it will strongly influence practice. Still readers might wish to take this recommendation with a pinch of salt.

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Albert Derolez has developed new terminology for describing the different scripts in this detailed study of handwriting in manuscript books produced in western and central Europe from c.1100 to c.1530. This makes Derolez's survey unique and an ideal tool for all interested in late-medieval book and handwriting culture.The text is illustrated with 600 drawings of letter-forms and 160 photographs of parts of manuscripts reproduced to actual-size.

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Latin Palaeography: Antiquity and the Middle Ages Review

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(More customer reviews)Bischoff is one of the greatest and ablest scholars for such a work. The volume's 289 pages gives a good overall picture of the Latin scripts in the period covered. Very good facsimiles of actual manuscripts accent the text. Though not acid free (apparently), the paper is very fine and the paperback seems sturdy. It has all of the necessary indexes, including MSS referred to, but no index of Latin terms within the text. Bischoff could have devoted more space to ligatures and tachyography at least the topic is not ignored. The representations of the various scripts are clear, and the volume is well referenced. It is most likely the best text on Latin palaeography for this period of Latin. The price is also right. Mr. Gary S. Dykes (Sept. 1999)

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First published in 1979, this work, by the greatest living authority on medieval palaeography, offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date account in any language of the history of Latin script.It contains a detailed account of the role of the book in cultural history from antiquity to the Renaissance and outlines the history of book illumination.By setting the development of Latin script in its cultural context, it provides an unrivalled introduction to the nature of medieval Latin culture.

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From Memory to Written Record: England 1066 - 1307 Review

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(More customer reviews)Moving from reliance on human memory to the written word was a long and interesting process which is fully explored by this book. Prior to Edward I's reign, the assumption was that "time out of mind" was about a century prior to the present. The date before which legal proof of rights was not required had previously been moved forward in time as required: the date of Henry I's death followed by Henry II's coronation followed by Richard I's coronation. But there it stayed fixed by Edward I's statutes. Time out of mind was prior to September 3, 1189. After that date, it was expected that written records rather than human memory would confirm legally valid grants of rights.
The development of a written culture of everyday affairs covers many sorts of artifacts and concepts. Tally sticks as bills and receipts, personal seals functioning as signatures, why we began signing with an "x", and the number of pounds of sealing wax used by the King's Chancery over time are all explored in this book. The development of heraldry as part of the shift from memory to written record is also commented on briefly.
The author carefully studies the question "Were laymen literate?" and tries hard to make the reader understand what being literate meant in this period. Our modern concept of someone who can read AND write simply doesn't fit with concepts held at the time about literacy. The author's conclusions on the pervasiveness of literacy in this period are surprising.
Throughout the book, the very different reasons for and processes surrounding the making of a record, the keeping of a record, and the using of a record are carefully differentiated. This is an outstanding work of history for the student of literacy, of medieval history, and of legal history.

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The second edition of Michael Clanchy's widely-acclaimed study of the history of the written word in the Middle Ages is now, after a much lamented absence, republished in an entirely new and revised edition. The text of the original has been revised throughout to take account of the enormous amount of new research following publication of the first edition. The introduction discusses the history of literacy up to the present day; the guide to further reading brings together over 300 new titles up to 1992. In this second edition there are substantially new sections on bureaucracy, sacred books, writing materials, the art of memory, ways of reading (particularly for women), the writing of French, and the relationship of script, imagery and seals.

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Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts: A Guide to Technical Terms (Looking At) Review

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(More customer reviews)This little volume provides brief definitions of all the important phrases and terms used in the study of illuminated manuscripts including forms, techniques, themes, and periods.
Great for understanding the differences between an historiated initial and an inhabited initial - or between an antiphonal and a gradual.
Most of the representative images are in color and are well chosen to illustrate the definitions. Perhaps their only drawback is their small size due to the size limitations of the book itself.
A great companion while reading to "Medieval Illuminators & their Methods of Work" by Jonathan J.G. ALexander or "A History of Illuminated Manuscripts" by Christopher De Hamel.

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Introduction to Manuscript Studies Review

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(More customer reviews)Raymond Clemens and Timothy Graham provide a spectacular introduction to the fascinating subject of manuscript studies. This well-organized book lays out nicely the various aspects of this field, including all aspects of book production, scribal practice, and script styles, making it a useful read for any student of the medieval period. The clear prose also makes this book accessible to anyone interested in the medieval period and/or the history of book making.
Beyond the actually text, this book is beautiful. It includes a myriad of full color images, highlighting the manuscript features discussed in the text. Consequently, one might derive enjoyment simply by flipping through the book and looking at the pictures, and it might very well be as appropriate sitting on a coffee table as shelved in a scholarly library.
While remaining accessible to a reader of casual interest, this book does not avoid the depth sought by a serious scholar. The book is thoroughly researched, with copious footnotes to direct the curious reader to further reading on particular topics. Even more useful to this end is the copious and well-organized bibliography which covers the all aspects of this broad field.
In short, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in manuscript studies: from the casual admirer to the serious scholar.

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Scribes and Illuminators (Medieval Craftsmen) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a fabulous book. There are a myriad of books available on the market, but this one is unique. Christopher De Hamel has a deep passion for this material as a scholar (at Corpus Christi, Cambridge), a researcher (at Sotheby's), and as a practitioner (at his Aunt's garden finding nuts to create medieval colors). His book follows the general direction of preparing the parchment, ruling the lines, and adding script and ornament. Colors and gold are given special attention, but without getting into stylistic variants. (Read his other books for that) The work is described in detail, but from an experiential rather than purely theoretical viewpoint, and his humor, his opinions, and his insights are mixed with historical details. Despite Christopher De Hamel's reputation, his humility and accessibility pervade his work, and are abundant here. In summation, this book invites, even seduces, interest in what could be a dry subject, presents beautiful photos, and opens a world of fascination to the layman and specialist alike.

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The Historical Sourcebook for Scribes Review

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(More customer reviews)Like other authors before them, Brown and Lovett have attempted to create the ultimate general guide to historical writing. And, like other authors before them, they've met with modest success.
Modest, because like anyone else who tries to break the ductus of a given hand down for the use of modern calligraphers, the scripts in this book (about 16 hands, Medieval and Renaissance, are presented) suffer from the simplification that occurs when a calligrapher attempts to blend many, many historical examples into a generalized, modern hand. Now, on the whole, that's not bad. It all depends on your purposes, of course, but for most people, a generalized and simplified hand is just the ticket. If, like me, you would prefer to see a specific example of a specific hand broken faithfully into an exemplar, though, you'll be disappointed. Even the hands in this book that imply the use of a specific example in creating the exemplars suffer from modification.
However, there is a truly splendid feature in this book. Each hand presented contains a detailed breakdown of the angles and spacing of a specific historical example. This is a real boon.
The text is primarily concerned with the history of the presented scripts. If you are looking for a beginners manual, this book is probably not for you. While it doesn't require intermediate or advanced skills to use this book, it does concentrate on presenting historical detail rather than step by step instructions for selecting the best materials, et cetera. There is, of course, some basic, general instructional material, but, again, this is not the emphasis of this book.
I'd probably put this book about halfway between Drogin's Medieval Calligraphy and Harris' Practical Calligraphy. The Drogin is text heavy, and works as an introductory book on paleography as well as it works as an instructional manual on making historic scripts. Harris, on the other hand, works extremely well as a visual teaching tool, and probably does the best job of presenting the ductus because of the use of color, but it is light on text. Brown and Lovett do a nice job of walking down the middle.


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Fourteen historical manuscripts, supported by other manuscript examples, are used to explore fifteen selected writing styles. Dr Michelle P. Brown analyses the production of the manuscripts, setting them in their historical context and relating them to the people who produced them. Patricia Lovett uses the manuscripts to analyse the letter-forms in detail, and then gives clear guidance on how to write the letters. Each section includes a calligraphic interpretation of the historic letter-form.

This book is the first to put the needs of the historian and the scribe at the forefront. Large-scale examples of the manuscripts are included for letter analysis, with, in most instances, a full page colour reproduction of a page from the same manuscript alongside. Other selected manuscripts with clear letter-forms show the development of that alphabet style throughout the periods under consideration. A whole page is devoted to exemplar letters of each alphabet style, with clear guidelines on how the letters are formed, including punctuation marks, an ampersand (or et ligature) and numerals. Each section includes a specially created piece of modern calligraphy, showing how the hand can be used today

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Scribes and Scholars: A Guide to the Transmission of Greek and Latin Literature Review

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(More customer reviews)"Scribes and Scholars" has become a classic. Now in the 3rd edition, it is a standard university textbook. It has also been translated into French with an additional bibliography by the great French scholar Pierre Petitmengin.
This books sets out to tell the story of how ancient literature travelled down the ages from the original authors to arrive in printed form in our hands. The focus is on the era to 1500, when printing takes over.
Everyone knows that before printing was invented, the only books were individually hand-copied. Reynolds and Wilson discuss the book trade of antiquity. The materials available - papyrus, parchment, leather and eventually paper - affect the story. The types of bookhand available in each era are discussed. When the Roman empire in the West collapsed, with it went not merely its military and political structures, but in fact every area of society, including the language itself. In the Greek East the picture was different, as Greek progressed on the long journey from Pericles to Papadopulous. Syriac and Arabic manuscripts are also mentioned. Each chapter has an interesting bibliography in the form of additional notes, which acts as a gateway into the literature.
The renaissance rediscovery is covered, in the only decent account in English.
Limitations? It would be very nice to have yet more footnotes. However this is hardly a criticism. Almost any section could easily be twice the length. I admit that I hanker for a longer book - yet this would probably be much less useful to most people.
One thing that becomes very quickly apparent is just how little material there is in English on this subject. The reader who seeks further information will find himself faced with non-English journals fairly quickly.
This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to get a real idea of just how our ancient heritage survived. Its easy reading too! Unreservedly recommended.

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The third edition of Scribes and Scholars takes into account the numerous discoveries in this rapidly-advancing field of knowledge by offering substantial revisions and additions.A note on how to interpret the information given in an apparatus criticus is also included.

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Scribes and Illuminators (Medieval Craftsmen) Review

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(More customer reviews)Like all this series, this book is a real gem. Clearly written, interesting, informative, with a fine selection of pictures (most in colour), it's truly amazing how much it covers in a small book. Particularly useful are the contemporary illustrations of scribes and painters at work, showing such details as a scribe's sloping desk with holes to hold his quills and inkhorn (cover illustration). The whole construction of a medieval book is explained, from makig the parchment to the final cover. Examples of unfinished manuscripts, not shown in facimile books, provide fascinating insight into the whole production process. The inclusion of charming pictures such as the self-portrait of a scribe and his apprentice, cursing a mouse running off with the the cheese from their lunch table, brings the lives of these workers into immediate and human detail.
If you are only going to get one book about medieval scribes and illuminators, this is the one to buy.

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Illuminated manuscripts survive in great numbers from the Middle Ages.They are often beautifully preserved, enabling us to appreciate the skilled design and craftsmanship of the people who created them.

Christopher de Hamel describes each stage of production from the preparation of the vellum, pens, paints and inks to the writing of the scripts and the final decoration and illumination of the book. He then examines the role of the stationer or bookshop in co-ordinating book production and describes the supply of exemplars and the accuracy of texts.He follows the careers of a number of specific scribes and illuminators who emerge not as anonymous monks but as identifiable professional lay artisans.He also looks at those who bought the completed books, why they did so, and how much they paid.

His survey ranges from the eleventh century through the golden age of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries to the luxurious manuscripts existing at the invention of printing.

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