History Commons^™

Drach, Prüss, And The Fifteenth-Century Book Trade, Jonathan Taylor

Extra-Textual Elements

The development of the moveable-type press in the mid-fifteenth century led to the rise of a new industry, the manufacture and trade of printed books. Before this, written works existed as handwritten manuscripts individually produced by scribes.

The printing press allowed works such as the Malleus maleficarum and Fasciculus temporum contained within Portland State University’s codex to be produced in a significantly more efficient manner. The printers of the two volumes contained in the codex, Peter Drach and Johann Prüss, successfully avoided the pitfalls facing early printers to become successful in their trade, and may have actively cooperated in the …

Watermarks In The Psu Codex Fasciculus Temporum And The Paper Trade, Christian Graham

Extra-Textual Elements

Medieval watermarks were introduced into early printed works during the production process of the paper. It is not known exactly when or why they came into common use, but they did come to identify specific paper suppliers.

As the number of paper suppliers grew enormously in concert with the growth of popularity of printed books, identifying the watermarks of specific producers can provide the modern scholar with valuable information about an early printed work, including dating editions and providing insight into trading relationships and connections between paper-makers and printers.

This paper examines some of the watermarks present in the PSU’s …

Manuscripts, Incunables, Books: How And Why The World Chronicles Changed, Philippe Kerstens

Fasciculus Temporum

The basic purpose and outline of a world chronicle was to outline the history of humanity, the kingdoms, and Christendom for the reader. When the method of producing chronicles changed from manuscript to the printed page, there was a corresponding physical change in the layout and appearance of the final product. Whether through the use of cheaper material (paper), a shift in design and style, or a further customizability, these changes reflected and signified consumers’ evolving expectations of the product itself.

Incunables gradually transformed from heavily decorated, printed editions resembling earlier manuscripts to increasingly simple printings. PSU’s edition of the …

Watermarks In The Psu Malleus Maleficarum, Laura Lindenthal

Extra-Textual Elements

This paper seeks to connect the watermarks found in PSU’s codex to the printer (or printers) of the included texts, the Malleus maleficarum and the Fasciculus temporum. Specifically, this essay considers three watermarks found on the paper of the Malleus maleficarum, one of which, an ox-head with staff, occurs on a blank page between the Malleus and the Fasciculus temporum, which precedes it in the codex. These watermarks and their common variations are described and their inclusion in several watermark databases is discussed. The three marks found in the Malleus maleficarum may be directly connected to the printer, …