From Compositors to Collectors: Essays on Book Trade History

The essays in this collection trace texts from their creation and printing through to their publication, dissemination and collection. In doing so, they show how production processes changed texts and how collectors subsequently appropriated them for their own ends. By examining the diverse activities of those involved in both textual creation and collection over a long period these essays highlight both continuity and changes in the book trade. Taken together this collection offers considerable new insights into many facets of the book trade, ranging from creation to consumption.