SC - salt problem

[LrdRas@aol.com]

> In a message dated 6/12/98 11:26:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> RuddR at aol.com
> writes:
> 
> << "Mass market production" in the Middle Ages is not to be confused
>  with what we now understand by that term. >>
> 
> I am not aware of any "commersial" type set-ups as are theorizing. The
> usual
> way a nobleman aquired books was to hire a calligrapher to copy a work
> from
> someone else's library, IIRC. At least this was the most common way of
> acquiring tomes during the Middle Ages. Of course, this was not the case
> after
> the printing press became established in Europe.
> 
> IMO, there is no need to theorize a "commersial book source. Libraries
> were
> restricted to the wealthy and a collection of 10 works would have been a
> modest library. There is , however, evidence of an active
> calligrapher's/illuminator's type of service with famous people being paid
> decently to reproduce and/or create works. An example would be the Duc de
> Berry's Book of Hours. 
> 
> I agree with His Grace that there is no evidence that cooksbooks were
> produced
> commercially before 1450 C.E. The rarity of such manuscripts, along with
> the
> manner in which they were produced plus the social status of the houses
> extant
> copies originated from clearly point to special volumes created by
> specialized
> craftsmen.
> 
> Ras
> 
There was large scale commercial copying of texts in Northern Italy by the
13th Century.  At first, the copying was done primarily for the wealthier
families, but quickly moved down the social scale as cheap paper became
available.  The Travels of Marco Polo became very popular in the trade
oriented city-states.

The first commercial print shop known opened its doors in Ravenna in 1289 as
part of this publishing industry.  This industry quickly adopted moveable
block type and Gutenberg's standardized metal type when they became
available.

By the 16th Century, the printers of Northern Italy were supplying books to
much of Europe.

I know of no similar large scale copying industry elsewhere in Europe.  Most
secular scribes outside of Northern Italy seem to have made their living as
government clerks or secretaries to wealthy families.

Of the cookbooks, the only one I think may have been commercially copied is
Apicius, which was published about 1498, having been derived from two 9th
Century manuscripts which were apparently copied from a 4th Century
manuscript.

Bear
============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================