The History of the Book in the Early Modern Period: 1450 to 1800

This course explores how books were produced and read in Western Europe (1450-1800). It is offered by Trinity College Dublin through Future Learn, an online education platform.

In this course, participants will be introduced to images and image databases including references from the Edward Worth Library and engravings of Anthony Van Dyck to discuss the process of book illustration. It also discusses the revolutionary role of book printing in shaping politics and science. Additionally, this course will expose learners to the trade of bookselling in Western Europe during the early modern period.

This course can be taken by anyone interested in gaining insights into the history of bookselling and design in this period. 

Some of the course contents are:

• Identifying different parts of an early modern book
• Classifying provenance marks and annotations in early modern books
• Illustrating techniques of creating early modern books