Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827), ‘Inside View of the Public Library, Cambridge’ (1809). (Classmark: Maps Fr.y.14)

Sandars 2023 - Lecture Three

Thu 23 November 2023

Robinson College

'Bookbinders and customers'

The final Sandars lecture from Dr David Pearson will look more closely at binders, at what we can know about them and their trade networks. It will then consider their customers, looking at different groups (such as academics, students, and townspeople) and the kinds of bindings they acquired. It will conclude by returning to questions of methodology and purpose – what evidence can bindings bring to our understanding of the social impact of books? What value do they have for related disciplines of study? What are the key questions we should ask of historic bindings, what are the features we should observe? It will conclude with the hope that this research project will advance opportunities to recognise and date Cambridge bookbindings, while encouraging all those who handle early books to look more closely at what bindings can tell them.

Hosted in-person in the Riley Auditorium at Robinson College, and live-streamed using Zoom. A recording of this lecture will also be made available.

Full event details and accessibility information can be found at https://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/whats/sandars-2023-lecture-3.

Hosted by Cambridge University Libraries.

Cost: Free