Indulgence, Nuremberg, 1482

This form is an indulgence granted for "promoting the war against the Turks," in a variant designed specifically for women. The handwritten portion in the upper right corner fills in the name of the recipient, Cristina Schuczin, and her diocese, Bamberg. Indulgence forms like this one, combining print and manuscript elements, were some of the first widespread uses of printing in the Middle Ages.

Jacobus, Golden Legend, 1472 (fol. 2r)

The text of this German edition of The Golden Legend of Saints starts off with an equivalent to "incipit": "Hie hebt sich an das Sumer Teil der Heyligen Leben..." ("Here begins the Summer Part of the Holy Lives..."). A hand-colored portrait of Jacobus writing his work follows.

Jacobus, Golden Legend, 1472 (fol. 5r)

The start of the life of Saint Mary of Egypt is marked off by a hand-colored woodcut illustrating her life. Like other books from the earliest years of printing, this does not use many of the printed features that become standard, including headlines, paragraph breaks, signature marks, or catchwords.

Magnus, Compendium, 1478-80

The printer has left the two spaces in the text for an initial letter to be added later by hand. In this case of this alphabetical list, the letters would be “R” and “S”.

Nider, Manuale Confessorum, 1474 ([1]1r)

The beginning of this manual for confessors is marked with an "incipit," a common Latin word used to indicate the beginning of a text.

Nider, Manuale confessorum, 1474 ([3]3r)

Although this book has clearly been read and annotated by a reader, its owner never had the initial letters or rubrication added. You can see on the left an empty square that would hold a hand-drawn initial letter as well as a smaller space further down on the right that would have been rubricated with a capitulum to indicate the start of a new chapter or section.

Psalterium, 1499 (c1r)

The text of this Latin book of psalms is surrounded by German commentary, printed in a smaller type on the right column and wrapping under the main text at the bottom of the page. Although it's hard to see on this copy (which shows signs of wear and foxing, or discoloration), both categories of text have been carefully printed in red ink as well as black.

Psalterium, 1499 (o7r)

On the last page of this volume appears the colophon and Erhard Ratdolt's printer's device, here printed in red and black ink.

Psalterium, 1499 (π1r)

This title label uses red ink to call attention to itself, with the second part of the title in a smaller face.

Sacrobosco, Noviciis adolescentibus, 1485 ([1]1r)

As title pages developed in form sometimes blank leaves or pages preceded them. In this case, as you can see from the bleed-through, a woodcut on the verso of the first leaf faces the inicipt and text on the second leaf.