Introduction to Manuscript Studies

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This lavishly illustrated guide offers a comprehensive introduction to medieval manuscript studies, making it invaluable for students in history, art history, literature, and religious studies, as well as advanced scholars and general readers interested in pre-print book history. The book is divided into three sections: - **Part 1, Making the Medieval Manuscript**, explores the entire manuscript production process, covering the preparation of writing surfaces, copying text, rubrication, decoration, glossing, annotation, and binding. - **Part 2, Reading the Medieval Manuscript**, emphasizes the skills needed for manuscript study, including transcribing, editing, and reading damaged texts. It also discusses assessing manuscripts' origins and provides a survey of sixteen medieval scripts from the eighth to the fifteenth century. - **Part 3, Some Manuscript Genres**, analyzes common types of medieval manuscripts such as Bibles, liturgical books, Books of Hours, charters, maps, and scrolls. The book concludes with a glossary, a guide to medieval Latin dictionaries, and a well-organized bibliography. Each chapter is richly illustrated with color plates, primarily sourced from the Newberry Library and the Parker Library, enhancing understanding of the text.