Printer's mark

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The Temple in Jerusalem depicted as the Dome of the Rock on the printer's mark of Marco Antonio Giustiniani, Venice 1545-52 Dome of the Rock, 1546.jpg
The Temple in Jerusalem depicted as the Dome of the Rock on the printer's mark of Marco Antonio Giustiniani, Venice 1545–52

A printer's mark, device, emblem or insignia is a symbol that was used as a trademark by early printers starting in the 15th century.

Contents

The first printer's mark is found in the 1457 Mainz Psalter by Johann Fust and Peter Schöffer. [1] One of the most well-known old printer's marks is the dolphin and anchor, first used by the Venetian printer Aldus Manutius as his mark in 1502. [2]

The database Printers' Devices of the Ancient Book Section of the Library of the University of Barcelona, was launched in October 1998. [3] The University of Florida libraries also provide digital access to printers' devices and include The University of Chicago devices that have appeared on the cover of their publication The Library Quarterly . [4]

Printer's mark in use in the modern era La Paga de los Soldados William Faulkner.JPG
Printer's mark in use in the modern era

Printers' devices have been incorporated in American library buildings, as a reflection of the British Arts and Crafts Movement. [5]

From 1931 to 2012 Library Quarterly featured 328 printer's marks with an article on the history of each mark. [6]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bibliography of early American publishers and printers</span>

Bibliography of early American publishers and printers is a selection of books, journals and other publications devoted to these topics covering their careers and other activities before, during and just after the American Revolution. Various works that are not primarily devoted to those topics, but whose content devotes itself to them in significant measure, are sometimes included here also. Works about Benjamin Franklin, a famous printer and publisher, among other things, are too numerous to list in this bibliography, can be found at Bibliography of Benjamin Franklin, and are generally not included here unless they are greatly devoted to Franklin's printing career. Single accounts of printers and publishers that occur in encyclopedia articles are neither included here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bibliography of Benjamin Franklin</span> List of primary and secondary works by or about Benjamin Franklin

This is a comprehensive list of primary and secondary works by or about Benjamin Franklin, one of the principal Founding Fathers of the United States. Works about Franklin have been consistently published during and after Franklin's life, spanning four centuries, and continue to appear in present-day publications. Scholarly works that are not necessarily subject-specific to Franklin, yet cover his life and efforts in significant measure, may also be included here. In contrast, this bibliography does not include the numerous encyclopedia articles and short essays about Franklin..

References

  1. Roberts, William (1893). Printers' Marks, by. London: George Bell & Sons, York Street, Covent Garden, & New York.
  2. Nicole Howard (2005), "Printer's Devices", The book: the life story of a technology, Bloomsbury Academic, ISBN   9780313330285
  3. University of Barcelona. "Printer's Devices" https://marques.crai.ub.edu/en/printers/devices Archived 2013-09-21 at the Wayback Machine
  4. University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/rarebook/devices/device.htm
  5. Karen Nipps, "Printers' Devices as Decorative Elements in Library Architecture." The Library Quarterly 83 (July 2013): 271-278.
  6. Kettnich, Karen, et al. “History of the Book, Printers’ Marks, and Library Quarterly.” The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, vol. 85, no. 4, 2015, pp. 345–46.