Early Printed Books

Duff, E. Gordon. Early Printed Books. London: Keegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co. Ltd, 1893.

Leather, paper, sewing thread and tapes, adhesive

In archeological terms, horizon refers to the rapid influence of a specific culture or phenomenon. The invention of printing from moveable type spread throughout Western Europe in a matter of a few years and has been regarded as the most influential event in the second millennium. To represent this new horizon in book production the design element on the binding shows a sharp rise as it moves from left to right. The front cover references a common manuscript letterform as early printed works were trying to copy the look of manuscripts. Lastly, it’s repeated three times as an allusion to the rapid, multiple copies obtained through printing.

Private collection