main printed feature: signature mark

Signature marks were used by printers to denote gatherings and leaves of a text so that they knew that the work was being printed and bound in the correct order. We typically use signature marks as a way of locating where something is in a book (e.g. “sig. B4v” indicates the verso side of the 4th leaf of the B gathering). But the style of a signature mark can also indicate where the book was printed.

Comenius, Orbis, 1685 (O1v-O2r)

This opening from a popular Latin textbook uses different typefaces to set apart the English and Latin phrases and to call attention to the vocabulary words that are illustrated on the facing page.

Dowland, Second booke of songs, 1600 (A2r)

Dowland's dedicatory letter to the Countess of Bedford follows a layout that mirrors manuscript letters; note that his signature is set in a lowly and humble position at the bottom of the page.

Dowland, Songes, 1597 (L1r)

This page of music was printed so that four musicians could stand around a table sharing the book. The music itself was printed from tiny pieces of metal type, each with the 5 bars of the staff and a note; lined up in a series, the pieces of type formed a series of musical notes.

Gerard, Herball, 1633 (4y2r)

Even in 1633, the same woodblock is being used to print this illustration of the corn-cockle.

Mattioli, Herbarz, 1562 (fol. CXXXVIr)

A hand-colored illustration of a lettuce plant from a Czech translation of Mattioli's herbal.

Nostradamus, An almanach, 1562 (fol. 2r)

Unlike later almanacs, this continues one month on after another, rather than giving each month its own page or opening. If you look at the top right page, you'll see the start of January, which continues onto the bottom right page.

Philipott, Aesop, 1666 (sig. 2Q2r)

This bilingual edition privileges the Latin text with the majority of page space, but presents the English version in rhyming verse. Along with the intricate engraving, the different modes may have made this book appealing to people of varying levels of schooling.

Prouisiones cedulas, 1563 (m2r)

Two different styles of the initial letter D can be seen here, the first quite plain and the second floriated.

Ruban, Kratkaia letopis Malaia Rrossiia, 1777 (И5)

The 6 in the headline's 1736 and the 6 in the same date in the third line of the text both are missing the same area of print on the bottom of the number. It can't be the same piece of type, since both 6s need to be in the forme simultaneously. But perhaps the matrix used to cast the 6s in this font didn't have a deep enough strike to cast the number correctly.

Ruban, Kratkaia letopis Malyia Rossii, 1777 (Д2)

This page shows the distances between one postal town and another, broken into sections and totaled at the bottom of each table: from Galukhov to Pereiaslavl is a total of 255 versts. The rules are used here as vertical lines to help keep the columns of information discrete.