Not just antiques
ROCHDALE Antiques Society continues to engage speakers who cater to a far wider audience than those whose main interest is in antiques.
Recently Richard Knowles delivered talks of relevance to those who love art, literature and social history
Richard Knowles’ talk, Little Dark Exciting Words, revealed much about books and printing, as Rochdale Antiques Society’s Felicity Guthrie outlined.
She said: “Books were originally hand written and a copy of a page from a beautiful Book of Hours produced in 1400s was shown to us.
“Printed books started in Germany prior to 1450 and Caxton brought the idea to England.
“An example from his own collection of very early books was a facsimile of a FrenchEnglish vocabulary book, printed in 1480 and originally owned by Ripon Cathedral.
“Another leather-bound example was dated 1631, entitled Book on Funeral Monuments by John Weaver.
“A History of Leeds was the first printed history of a town, produced in 1715 and his leather-bound copy of this book was printed in London for Townley Hall Library.
“In the early 19th century, publishers often issued books in three volumes, produced by three different printers to save time, as the words were still hand set.
“Jane Austin books were originally printed in this way and are now of interest to collectors in their three-volume state.
“Steam printing presses didn’t arrive until the mid-19th century.
“Paperback books are now commonplace and were originally produced by firms such as WHSmith for the railway trade, as they were much easier to carry while travelling.
“Collectors, however, still like to buy hardback books with their original wrapper and preferably first editions.
“Fleming’s James Bond books, the Hobbit by Tolkien and, of course, J K Rowling’s Harry Potter, are all very popular and valuable in excellent condition, but, as with everything else, there is a fashion in books and the prices obtained run in cycles.”
Next up, on December 13, is Janus Slowikowski, a furniture collector, researcher and professional lecturer whose talk, All that Glitters – English and Continental Furniture, will explain and illustrate how the use of elaborate ornamentation and gilding provided a dazzling spectacle and was used as a symbolic expression of power.
The talk will be held at St Vincent’s Community Hall, Caldershaw Road, Norden, at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5. Call 01706 844026