Dirty Books: Quantifying Patterns of Use in Medieval Manuscripts Using a Densitometer

Datum	donderdag 4 oktober 2012
Tijd	15:00 – 16:00 uur
Locatie	Leiden University Library Grote Vergaderzaal Witte Singel 27 Leiden

Early users of medieval books of hours and prayer books left signs of their reading in the form of fingerprints in the margins. The darkness of their fingerprints correlates to the intensity of their use and handling. A densitometer—a machine measuring the darkness of a reflecting surface—can reveal which texts a reader favored. This lecture introduces this new technique, densitometry, to measure a reader’s response to various texts in a prayer book. Tracking what medieval book users handled with their grubby hands shows us what they read and cared about.

Lectures are free and open to all. This lecture is accompanied by a display of medieval manuscripts. Please RSVP to e.kwakkel@hum.leidenuniv.nl.