Judging a Book by Its Cover: A Brief History of the Book

From codex to Kindle, parchment to paper, books have played a significant part in the development of our Western culture. They remain entertaining, enlightening, and educational. Although today taking many different forms, they continue to inform and inspire us. Learning about their diverse methods of construction, their value as objects, and about the importance of their content in context is rich and fascinating. In this talk, we will look at many large and colorful pictures of historically important books, examine examples of bindings hands-on, watch a short film on the construction of modern books, and even try to make one ourselves. To help us along this path, please bring your favorite book, no matter its age, size or subject.

About Richard Green

As a university professor of music history at Northwestern, Penn State, and Miami University of Ohio, Richard Green has long been a bibliophile. He is also a bookbinder with many years' experience in making and repairing books, teaches these techniques to students, and his books are sold commercially. He has shared his passionate interest in the history of books in Western culture in several public lectures.