main printed feature: printer's ornament

Printers used a variety of ornaments to decorate and as an integral part of setting pages. Headpieces and tailpieces could be made of wood or metal relief cuts that could be swapped in and out of different books, or they could be composed of small pieces of decorative type known as fleurons or flowers. Those fleurons could be used as single pieces of type or combined to form borders of varying sizes and combined into different patterns.

Rowe, Laura, 1775 (A1v)

This ad selling letterpress printing to the public appears on the back of a title page; the book lacks an imprint statement, and the shop location given here allows researchers to suggest a time-frame for the book's publication.

Santo Officio da Inquisição de Coimbra, Relacion del auto de fee, 1723 (A1r)

This account of people tried as heretics includes, in place of a printer's device, the device of the Inquisition.

Securis, A newe almanacke, 1571 (A2v-A3r)

Almanacs often included charts of the human body and indications of which astrological signs ruled which parts. This opening also includes information about propitious times of the year for things not only having to do with the body (bathing, stopping colds) but with planting.

Shakespeare, First Folio, 1623 (I2v)

Since this play ends part-way down the page, the remainder of the space is taken up with ruling and a decorative tailpiece.

Shakespeare, First Folio, 1623 (nn4v)

The opening of Hamlet in Shakespeare’s First Folio; like the rest of the plays in this book, the start of the play is marked off with a headpiece and an initial letter.

Vincent, Discouerie, 1622 (¶2r)

The author's letter to the subject of his critique is set off with a headpiece and an initial letter. Atpically for English books, the prefatory material is signed with a pilcrow (¶).

Whitney, Choice of emblemes, 1586 (3*2v)

This errata list, squeezed in small font at the bottom of the page, warns that while most of the mistakes were corrected during printing, there are still many leaves that have the errors.

Whole Booke of Psalmes, 1640 (*1r)

The Bay Psalm Book, as this work is known, is the first book printed in British North America.

Zumárraga, Doctrina breve, 1544 (a1r)

This title page uses woodcut blocks and pieces of type to create decorative borders surrounding the text presenting the work's title and imprint. Doctrina breve is the first complete work printed in North America, and was printed using type, blocks, and press were brought over to Mexico City from Spain.