So far this semester I’ve had the good fortune to work with Eric White, curator of the special collections at SMU’s Bridwell Library. Every Tuesday afternoon we meet for a couple hours and look at books ranging from medieval monastic manuscripts to the world’s earliest examples of the printed word. We talk typefaces, ink, paper and watermarks, bindings, marginalia, vandalism and censorship, rubrication, illumination, collation, and all things bibliographical. The holdings in the Bridwell, especially in terms of incunabula, are really shocking. With over 1,000 15th century printed books, Eric White’s bibliographical empire is one of the finest in the nation.

To get a sense of what we’re working with, visit the online tour through Dr. White’s latest exhibit: Invention & Discovery: Printed Books from 15th Century Europe. The site is surprisingly well put together and offers a solid yet brief introduction to the complexities of incunabula. The exhibit covers the development of print in Mainz; the various print traditions in Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, France, and England; 15th century bindings; and the roles of authors, readers, and even librarians in the development of early print culture. Well worth a quick visit.

Again, I’m lucky to be able to handle so many of these items. There’s no substitute for hands-on learning when it comes to bibliographical and textual studies, and I’d be hard pressed to think of a collection that offers more in the way of unique early books than the Bridwell.