Rhodes, Dennis E.

Silent printers : anonymous printing at Venice in the sixteenth century / Dennis E. Rhodes.

London : British Library, 1995.

xix, 286 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

The British Library studies in the history of the book

In this pioneering study one of the leading experts on the history of the early Italian book has turned his attention to some of the most perplexing and intractable problems that historical bibliographers have to face the identification of anonymous printing. Venice quickly became one of the major publishing centres of Renaissance Europe, serviced by innumerable printers. While the products of many of the presses are easily identified today (one thinks of the famous device used in books produced by Aldus Manutius), many of the surviving books offer no such evidence as to their origins. Their title pages may simply state Venetiis or in Venetia; or the name of the publisher or bookseller is given but not the printer; or occasionally no information at all is given. In such instances the bibliographer must make an identification by comparing the anonymously printed volume with known examples of a printer's work.
This is often peculiarly hard, particularly since in Venice (like nowhere else in Europe) there was a great deal of interloaning of initials, ornaments, devices and other material between printers, who seem often to have been friends rather than rivals. Occasionally it is impossible to be certain to whom a particular device really belonged.
. Despite these and other problems, Dennis Rhodes has succeeded in establishing the identity of the anonymous printer of over 250 different volumes in the British Library's outstanding collections. Each volume is fully described, and 150 photographs of type ornaments and other identifying features are included.

0712303855
9780712303859

British Library Catalogs.
British Library.
British Library Catalogues.
Early printed books Italy Venice 16th century Bibliography Catalogs.
Early printed books England London 16th century Bibliography Catalogs.
Printing Italy Venice History 16th century.
Printing history
Livres anciens 16e siècle Italie Venise Bibliographie Catalogues.
Livres anciens 16e siècle Angleterre Londres Bibliographie Catalogues.
Imprimerie Italie Venise Histoire 16e siècle.
Early printed books.
Printing.
Oude drukken.
Toeschrijvingen.
Drukkers.
Imprimeurs Italie Venise (Italie) 16e siècle.
Imprimerie Italie Venise (Italie) 16e siècle.
Imprimeurs Italie Venise Catalogues.
Bibliographie 16e siècle Italie Venise Histoire.
Imprimés Italie Venise (Italie) 16e siècle Bibliographie Catalogues.
Venice (Italy) Imprints Catalogs.
England London.
Italy Venice.
Venise (Italie) Imprimeurs Catalogues.
Books Printing
Venice (Italy)

Bibliographies.
Catalogs.
History.

British Library.
British Library studies in the history of the book.

Localisation: Bibliothèque main 108828
Cote: ID Z156.V4 R49; ID:96-B138
Statut: Disponible