SC - Pynson book in Longleat collection

[DELTAYLOR@aol.com]

> Where can I get it? Want it! Need it! Please, please! <beg, beg, grovel,
> kiss, kiss>
> Gotta have it!!!!!!...................Have gold pieces....<hint, hint>
> 
> Sorry. I'm more calm now...............
> 
> Lord Ras

Hello again, from Allegra:

The Pynson book I gave the University Microfilms International listing 
for, as well as many other wonderful books set in print in the last 125 
years of our period (cookbooks and every other genre), are available on the 
Early English Books in Microfilm collection.

If you live near a university or college, check with their libraries to
see what microfilm collections they have available.  Your chances may
improve if they have good history or medieval studies departments.  They 
will have some guide like the "Short Title Catalogue of Books Printed in 
England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English Books Printed Abroad 
1475-1640" to help you find the books you're looking for.  They're 
generally organized by author, although some titles where the author's 
name is unknown or only a publisher's name is given will be printed under 
general headings like "cookery" or the first word in the title (excluding 
words like "The" or "A").

It's best if you can get your own copy from the microfilm, since the
microfilm may be well-used and scratched, or the microfilm printing
machine may do a lousy job (and successive copies of copies of copies tend
to become increasingly lousy).  This can, unfortunately, be an expensive
and time consuming project, but when you're the SCA cook drooling for
resources (excuse me while I wipe off the computer keyboard), you probably
don't give that issue too much consideration!  :-)

I don't know what legal restrictions might exist on reproducing these
microfilm copies for sale to those who don't have easy access to the
microfilm.  Perhaps someone from the list is knowledgable in this area and
would comment?  Occasionally (but not very often), one does come across a
card inserted before a particular book on the microfilm stating that
permission must be obtained from the owners to reproduce or distribute any
portion of that one book.  I would expect to honor that as it applies to
those few books, but what about the rest of them?  I can certainly
appreciate the fact that many people who desperately want these resources
may live 300 miles from the nearest large research library (or that their
local university or collegiate libraries may not own these resources). 

Allegra Beati
(whose collection of microfilmed cookbooks probably amounts to a fire hazard)