Online Resources for Book History and Print Culture

A graduate student at UCLA explains her work to decipher a group of cuneiform tablets, which were first used in Sumeria more than 4000 years ago, and demonstrates how how they were created using clay and a reed stylus.

A demonstration of the Sri Lankan process of preparing ola leaves, using a stylus to incise letters, and binding the finished book in wooden covers. Palm leaf manuscripts were produced in South and Southeast Asia as early as the 5th century BCE.

The technique of making paper from the mulberry plant was first developed in Japan in the 8th century.

In the Pacific Islands, the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree is beaten to create tapa, a barkcloth.

In China, paper has been made by hand from rice straw and sandalwood bark since the 8th century.

A discussion of surfaces used for informal writing in ancient Greece and Rome as early as the 7th century BCE.

A BBC segment on an English parchment maker who produces writing skins using traditional methods nearly identical to those used in Europe during the middle ages.

This Smarthistory site gives a good overview of the materiality of medieval European writing on parchment.

Artisans in Fabriano, Italy, have been making paper by hand since the 13th century. Today, the Fabriano mill demonstrates the integration of traditional techniques with industrial-era innovations.

English papermakers produce cotton-fiber paper by hand, using many of the same techniques which have been employed since the hand press era. Paper was introduced to Europe from the Middle East in the 11th century, but the first paper mill in England was not established until 1490.

In the 19th century, steam power and other technological advances radically changed the way paper was made. Although it was built as a miniature demonstration model in 1914, the paper machine featured in this video uses processes typical of the later part of the 19th century.

A brief introduction to the development of six ancient writing systems, from Mesopotamia to Rapa Nui.

An extensive and entertaining talk by British Museum curator Irving Finkel on the ancient use and recent decipherment of cuneiform, the world's oldest writing system.

Preparing a feather quill pen with methods commonly used in Europe between the 7th and 19th centuries.

Suminagashi, or water marbling, has been practiced in Japan since the 12th century.

Marbled paper has been made in Turkey since at least the 16th century. The technique of marbling spread from Turkey and the Middle East to Europe in the 17th century, when it was commonly used for endpapers and bindings.

The British firm of Cockerell and Sons produces marbled paper using traditional European techniques. Of particular interest is the use of combs to produce repeatable patterns.

A user-friendly basic introduction to a variety of scripts from the ancient world to the early modern era.

Intended for intermediate and advanced users, this site's interface is somewhat clunky, but detailed notes on the dating of each document and extensive supplementary materials make it a useful resource.

A great quick reference for English alphabets, circa 1500-1700. Particularly useful for learning about what individual letters and abbreviations look like in their historical forms.

A thorough introduction to early modern English scripts. The quick reference guide to dating, numbers, and other abbreviations is particularly helpful. Extensive exercises allow students to practice skills: each of 10 documents includes historical background notes ;a glossary; notes on the palaeography; a sample alphabet taken from each document, and a full transcript.

Extensive site created by Brigham Young University with resources for reading English scripts created between 1600 and 1800. Sample transcriptions and interactive exercises make it easy to practice.

This site, which is now only available through the Internet Archive, does a deep dive into European handwriting styles. The Index of Scripts page offers more granular detail and more examples than are available through the other links in this section.