Jacqui Reid-Walsh and Julie Porterfield
On November 6, 2019 Julie Porterfield and I offered a master class about early movable books in the Mann Assembly Room connected to Special Collections at Penn State University. The event was called “Self-fashioned reading with foldout books” and we were invited to do so the Committee for Early Modern Studies. I in particular was thrilled since I was going to do a sharing of my passion for early metamorphic and harlequinade books with the objects themselves –not just images as is more usual! Moreover, I was doing so in a “rare books” space that the librarians and curators use with their classes. I have been there before as part of a class activity or for a reception but never the “lead” role!
Julie and I met beforehand to prepare the feast of books for the master class’s dinner party theme. Prior to the planning visit, I utilized my research account and the University Libraries’ online catalog (The CAT) to request potential movable books to include in the feast. Once on site, Julie pulled each of the requested books for review. We reviewed each volume for fragility, uniqueness, and its ability to exemplify the larger historical narrative of movable books. We also agreed on handling procedures for each selected item, as they varied based on fragility. Julie recorded each selected volume, and agreed to make them available in the Mann Assembly Room on the day of the event. On the day of the event, she also made available book cradles and bone folders to aiding in handling the delicate flaps of the movable books.
When the day came, I arrived early to special collections and tracked down Julie who was already in the spacious room with a number of (not too heavy) large tables and stackable chairs that may be arranged as needed. I surveyed the space and tables and decided to take the event in an informal direction. Instead of lecturing and showing the materials with Julie it occurred to me that since we were a smallish group and we were all going to be allowed to handle the material since Julie was supervising their handling, why not aim for a more interactive approach? Since the tables could be put together I thought why not employ the metaphor of a dinner party with the books as a visual and tactile feast! We moved four tables together with their chairs and then laid out the materials around the large tables by groups based on date and type: the homemade manuscripts were one, the 19th century American Metamorphosis were one, the 18th century theatrically based harlequinades were one, and the place of honor was the 17th century Beginning, Progress and End of Man. Every chair had an object or two for a guest to examine/ play with placed on the appropriate support with tools as necessary.
Ready for the guests
Julie sat at the side with the book trolley and I stood at the front with facsimiles in order to show the objects and demonstrate their movability. Julie put up on the large screen the image page from the website “Learning as Play” that I have developed with special collections. By putting up the image page, everyone could see materials from other libraries that we obtained permissions for digitally photographing and reproducing on the site. To provide context for my oral presentation we put up on the screen the earliest known Beginning, Progress and End of Man (1650) held by the British Library and attached to a page in folio that is part of the famous Thomason Collection of British Civil War documents. The aim was that in in addition to seeing and touching the items in front of them, during the course of the feast the members of the party would move around the table to see and touch other items.
The event was a joy. When everyone entered they sat with an object. I stood by the screen and moved around to point out the sets of items that I was talking about and demonstrating their movement with facsimiles.
Bill minter examining the Beginning, and Dr. Professor Robin Thomas listening
Reflecting on the event, I talked a bit too long, and the guests were too polite to move much when I was speaking. Afterwards though we all mingled with the objects and talked animatedly learning from one another. Most of our facsimiles of a 19th century homemade Metamorphosis were given away.
The movable (book) feast was deemed a success by all! I look forward to co-hosting another one with a different kind of movable book!