[DCRM-L] Odd woodcut title page border

Wed Oct 2 12:56:37 MDT 2024

Thank you, Ruth.

Someone who replied off-list also suggested that the title page typeface was suspicious. I do not think the entire book is a facsimile, but will look more closely to see if the title page might be a later addition - some of the front matter appears to be missing, so it could be that someone was replacing a missing title page.

I had not thought to check the USTC; those search results appear to be for the other similar title which is bound in this volume - the first title is "von Advent bis Ostern"; the second is "von Ostern bis auffs Advent". The title page and running title typefaces are pretty different between the two titles, but unfortunately I am not sure who the printer of the second title is as I am lacking the colophon.

Thanks very much for your thoughts on the woodblocks as well!

--Ann

Ann K.D. Myers

Senior Rare Books Cataloger

Stanford Libraries

Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives

415 Broadway, Floor 1, 8406

Redwood City, CA 94063

akdmyers at stanford.edu

any pronouns

________________________________
From: DCRM-L <dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu> on behalf of Ruth Ellen St. Onge via DCRM-L <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, October 2, 2024 7:50 AM
To: DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Cc: Ruth Ellen St. Onge <ruthellen.stonge at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Odd woodcut title page border

Good morning, Ann,

I am wondering if this is a later facsimile edition of an imprint first published in 1527. At first glance, the typeface looks more modern to me, but I could be wrong. See for example the title page<https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/en/view/bsb10329940?page=2,3> of this circa 1520s Martin Luther.

You may have already looked at it, but Universal Short Title Catalogue might be of help. See search results for the title + date here<https://www.ustc.ac.uk/explore?q=Auslegung%20der%20Evangelien%20%2B%201527&fqa=&fqr=&fqc=&fqt=&fqp=&fqf=&fql=&fqs=&fqd=&fqo=&fqn=&fqyf=&fqyt=&fqlo=&fqis=&fqpm=&fqpf=>.

In terms of the weird grid pattern, it looks to me like the printer was using a damaged block that was also slightly smaller than the space they were hoping to fill on the page. In order to fill up the missing space, they used a combination of smaller rectangular blocks which they possibly printed twice in two different configurations, resulting in the grid pattern. I believe that the original block itself was missing the lower portion with the coat of arms. In other words, the grid pattern is not obscuring the lower half of the block, but filling in empty space (there is some overlap, which leads me to believe that the larger more elaborate block was printed first).

I hope this is helpful!

Ruth-Ellen

Ruth-Ellen St. Onge, MISt, PhD
(She/Her/They)

Distinctive Collections Cataloguing Librarian

Archives and Research Collections
McMaster University Library

[Map icon] location: Mills Library Lower Level<https://www.mcmaster.ca/welcome/campusmap.cfm>
[Phone icon] phone: 905-525-9140 x ext. 22789<tel:+19055259140pext.%2022789>
[Envelope icon] email: stongr2 at mcmaster.ca<mailto:stongr2 at mcmaster.ca>

[McMaster University Brighter World logo]

McMaster University recognizes and acknowledges that it is located on the traditional territories of the Mississauga and Haudenosaunee nations, and within the lands protected by the Dish With One Spoon wampum agreement.

On Tue, 1 Oct 2024 at 17:09, Ann K.D. Myers via DCRM-L <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu<mailto:dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>> wrote:
Hello all,

I have an odd woodcut title page border I'm hoping someone here might have some ideas on. The book in question is Auslegung der Evangelien von Advent bis Ostrern / gepredigt durch Martin Luthern. Wittemberg : Johannes Grunenberg, 1527. I can't find any record of this title in OCLC, or in any of the reference works I currently have access to, so any tips on possible reference materials would be appreciated as well.

I've posted a photo of the title page here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/y7o4c1o56BCaoTQPA The woodcut border has clearly been altered, perhaps to cover some content in the lower portion? It almost looks like there may have been a coat of arms that was being hidden? But I can't figure out how or why that grid-like pattern was created. Has anyone else seen anything like this? I'm also wondering if the border block may have been reused from another edition or publication?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

--Ann

Ann K.D. Myers

Senior Rare Books Cataloger

Stanford Libraries

Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives

415 Broadway, Floor 1, 8406

Redwood City, CA 94063

akdmyers at stanford.edu<mailto:akdmyers at stanford.edu>

any pronouns

--------------------
You have received this message because you are a subscriber to the DCRM-L discussion list.

You can change the email associated with your subscription, the method that you receive DCRM-L posts, unsubscribe, and other settings by logging into your subscription at https://listserver.lib.byu.edu/mailman/listinfo/dcrm-l.

Alternately, to unsubscribe from this list send a message to dcrm-l-leave at lib.byu.edu<mailto:dcrm-l-leave at lib.byu.edu>. You will receive an email requesting confirmation of your request.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20241002/1a071692/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 320 bytes
Desc: image.gif
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20241002/1a071692/attachment-0004.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 357 bytes
Desc: image.gif
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20241002/1a071692/attachment-0005.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 6499 bytes
Desc: image.gif
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20241002/1a071692/attachment-0006.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 372 bytes
Desc: image.gif
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20241002/1a071692/attachment-0007.gif>