Erasmus, Novum Instrumentum, 1516 (A1r)

Erasmus's translation of the Bible from Greek into Latin is appropriately presented in two parallel columns. Here, the initial page of his New Testament is set off with woodcut borders; the following pages are plain columns of text.

Erasmus, Novum Instrumentum, 1516 (Ff8r)

The last leaf of this work includes a colophon and printer's device as well as a register for the order of the book's gatherings. You can see that the preliminaries were printed after the rest of the work by how they're signed (aaa, bbb); you can also note that there are two series of double letters and that AA is not the same as Aa.

Gerard, Herball, 1633 (¶2r)

This engraved title page, with portraits not only of the author but of classical figures and with architectural structures providing an edifice tying the details together, strives to create an imposing authority for this herbal.

Gerard, Herball, 1633 (4y2r)

Even in 1633, the same woodblock is being used to print this illustration of the corn-cockle.

Gower, Confessio Amatis, 1483 (CCxir)

In this colophon, Caxton identifies himself as the printer and states that it was finished on September 2 in the first year of King Richard III's reign, 1493. But the first year of Richard's reign was 1483, and so catalog records provide that as the correct date. (It's certainly much easier to accidentally slip in an extra "x" to the date than to confuse the first and tenth year of your monarch's rule.)

Hobart, Reports, 1724 (K4v)

There's a lot going on here: reports of Judge Hobart's cases, printed marginal notes referring to other cases, different typefaces, running titles in the headlines noting the cases discussed on each page, and a press figure at the very bottom.

Holinshed, Chronicles, 1577 (b2v)

As is the case with many large chronicles, the woodcut illustrations here are reused throughout the book.

Holinshed, Chronicles, 1577, pub. Bishop (¶1r)

In some cases, when a group of publishers together paid for a work to be printed, the work would be printed with different states of the title page, each publisher being named separately. Here, although a group of men collaborated to pay for the publication of Holinshed's Chronicles, this state of the title page lists only Lucas Harrison as the publisher (compare to this copy of the work).

Holinshed, Chronicles, 1577, pub. Harrison (¶1r)

In some cases, when a group of publishers together paid for a work to be printed, the work would be printed with different states of the title page, each publisher being named separately. Here, although a group of men collaborated to pay for the publication of Holinshed's Chronicles, this state of the title page lists only Lucas Harrison as the publisher (compare to this copy of the work).

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.