Transitions: Manuscript and Print in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries (HISTORY 201T)

1 credits · Graduate

The fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries marked a period of profound media transformation. The invention of printing with movable type brought far-reaching changes to the production, formats, audiences, and circulation of written texts. Yet manuscripts and printed books continued to coexist for centuries, giving rise to numerous forms of interaction and hybridization between the two media.nnDrawing on examples from Stanford's Special Collections, this class explores this transformative period in book history. Alongside examining the broader history of media, students will gain hands-on experience in accessing, handling, reading, and researching books from the late medieval and early modern periods.nnThe class will be taught in English. Reading knowledge of Latin and/or German is beneficial but not required.