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.

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.)

Gučetić, Dialogo della bellezza, 1581 (a1r)

This title page showcases the Ziletti printer’s device, a comet and seven stars with their motto “inter omnes” (“among all”). Here Francesco Ziletti uses the device of his uncle, Giordano Ziletti, but with his own spin -- most noticeably, the inclusion of two upside-down topless women who were not present in Giordano's works.

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).

James I, By the King, 1611

This broadside uses gothic type (or black letter as the English often called it) for the main text of its announcement, as is typical for official English documents, with roman type setting off the names of the escapees.

Kats, Ma’aseh Toviyah, 1708 (π1r)

This title page combines both Hebrew and roman type, indicating its origin at a Hebrew print studio in Venice. The main part of the title reads, "Part one of the book of worlds or Ma'aseh Toviyah containing the four worlds. And it is divided into five parts. The first part describes the world above, that is the spiritual world. The second the world of the middle, that is the world of the planets. The third is the lower world that is our world. The fourth is the small world, that is The Man. The fifth in the foundations of the world."

Keimer, Elegy, 1723 (1r)

Because broadsides weren't typically bound into books but rather distributed as single sheets, they often have very high loss rates. This is the only known copy of Keimer's Elegy, which Benjamin Franklin describes in his Autobiography as having unusually been composed as Keimer set the type. This was the first work that Keimer published in America, and Franklin's first known printing job in Philadelphia.

Lodge, Euphues, 1634 (A1r)

John Smethwicke's printer's device features a bird known as a smew holding a scroll reading "wick" in its beak: smew + wick = Smethwick.

Marston, Antonio and Mellida, 1603 (A1r)

Thomas Fisher's printer's device, shown on this playbook title page, puns on his name by featuring a kingfisher bird.