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Erik Kwakkel

@erikkwakkel.bsky.social

2.5K followers 190 following 230 posts

Professor of Book History at UBC School of Information, Vancouver. Into medieval manuscripts. He/his. Blog: https://medievalbooks.nl. Writing a book on ads by medieval scribes. “There is more to life than medieval books, but it's a good place to start.”

medievalbooks.nl.

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Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Nov 17

Introductions: I’m a book historian in love with medieval manuscripts. Sharing research updates, manuscript news, images, and random findings from digitized manuscripts. Occasional blogger. Left Twitter for Mastodon, but you #medievalsky folks are all here, so here it is! (Pic: Bod CanClassLat257)

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Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Aug 12

Extraordinary lecture that will give you an hour+ of pure joy. Highly recommended.

Carin Ruff @carinr.bsky.social · Aug 11

Rare Book School has posted a lecture by Paul Needham on his most recent work on the Catholicon Press: youtu.be/o4aMEB38slw?... Paul is in good form and his presentation of the evidence is clear, whether you're on board with the theory or not.

#bookhistory

"The Catholicon Press Revisited: The Evidence of Nailheads"

YouTube video by Rare Book School

youtu.be

Reposted by Erik Kwakkel

Steven Van Impe @svanimpe.bsky.social · Aug 12

Using bibliographical format to fill your boxes:
2°, 4°, 8°, two 12°s.

#Bibliography #BookHistory 📚💙

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Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Jun 25

Good times ahead.

Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Jun 24

Testing 1,2,3: this original cover for a schoolbook (Cicero and other classical school texts) is completely filled with pen trials. The name Hainz/Haintz appears a lot, perhaps student’s name?

(Munich, BSB, Clm 18941, 15th c, digitized here: tinyurl.com/5n8furud, see pic 143)

15th-century schoolbook with pen trials.

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Reposted by Erik Kwakkel

Dr. Krista A. Milne @kmilne.bsky.social · Apr 3

🎉✨The Destruction of Medieval Manuscripts in England ✨

Absolutely delighted to announce that my second book has just been released (and it's open access; free to download at the link below!).
academic.oup.com/book/59790?f...

The Destruction of Medieval Manuscripts in England: Institutional Collections

Abstract. It is generally accepted that the contingencies of manuscript survival have disproportionately destroyed some sorts of manuscripts and not others

academic.oup.com

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Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Jun 20

Just came across this web resource: 76 digitized handwriting manuals 1600-1800 - mostly with models for handwriting exercises (bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/search/N-503...). A bored child learning to write doodled in one of them (source: bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/p...).

Flyleaf of writing manual shows doodles of child.

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Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Jun 10

Encountered during morning walk in Stanley Park. Love the scene, shoe not mine.

Reposted by Erik Kwakkel

Suzanne Karr Schmidt @drkarrschmidt.bsky.social · Jun 9

Binding Waste Bonus!

#NewberryLibrary #Shelfie
#Print #Manuscript #Recycling

Medieval manuscript fragment used on a book cover.

Book shelf with two books with reused text on the spine, both medieval and modern.

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Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Jun 10

Script musings: Southern France - could it even be Spain? Pregothic, though almost not “pre” anymore.

Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · May 18

Look, a much younger Kwakkel!

Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Mar 20

This spectacular Bible was created by a scribe in Mainz in 1452-53, while elsewhere in the city Gutenberg was creating the printed equivalent that would put the scribe out of business. The digitization is of equal high quality: www.loc.gov/item/52002226/. #medievalsky

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Reposted by Erik Kwakkel

DorotheaBredon @dorotheabredon.bsky.social · Mar 12

Just saw this on #TodayILearned and that led me to @erikkwakkel.bsky.social ! #OldBooks

www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/01/this...

This 16th Century Book Can Be Read Six Different Ways

Sure, the Amazon Kindle might have dynamic font adjustments, and it can hold thousands of books, but can it do this? Printed in the late 16th century this small book from the National Library of Swede...

www.thisiscolossal.com

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Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Mar 10

Started to work on something new, a manuscript lost in the 1870 fire that destroyed the Public and University Library in Strasbourg. The pile in the foreground I imagine holds the remains of the codex I am writing about, how sad (Musée hist. de Strasbourg, R.20694), more exhibit: buff.ly/srNXVZy.

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Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Mar 4

Give yourself a free present. Here’s a OA download for your paleography fix.

Carin Ruff @carinr.bsky.social · Jan 24

Related to @lisafdavis.bsky.social Breakfast #Paleography post today: let me recommend @erikkwakkel.bsky.social's "Biting, Kissing and the Treatment of Feet: The Transitional Script of the Long Twelfth Century" in this excellent book:
www.aup.nl/en/book/9789... (short 🧵)

Turning over a New Leaf

Books before print – manuscripts – were modified continuously throughout the medieval period. Focusing on the ninth and twelfth centuries, this volume explores such material changes as well as the var...

www.aup.nl

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Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Mar 4

Ha, good question! I was on leave until March 1 and focused on getting the Advertisement book finished. That is now done. Coming up for air. Thanks for inquiring, that’s kind.

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Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Dec 16

Alert: great opportunity if you are interested in doing a PhD around early book. Salaried (!) Marie Curie Doctoral Research position advertised by the U of Bristol within the exciting “Remediating the Early Book: Pasts and Futures” project (@rebpaf.bsky.social).

uk.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=c...

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Reposted by Erik Kwakkel

Peter Kidd @mssprovenance.bsky.social · Dec 14

There's an interesting new blogpost by Ellie Jackson at the BL:
blogs.bl.uk/digitisedman...
#fragmentology #mssprovenance

An unknown leaf from the Poor Clares of Cologne

The involvement of nuns in creating beautiful medieval manuscripts is often underappreciated. It is very exciting, then, to discover a new example of their work. While searching for items to include i...

blogs.bl.uk

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Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Dec 14

vancouverbachchoir.com/events/messi...

Handel's Messiah | Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs | The Ultimate Christmas Tradition | Choral Music

Celebrate the festive season in style with a beautiful performance of Handel's Messiah at the grant Orpheum theatre on December 14th!

vancouverbachchoir.com

Erik Kwakkel @erikkwakkel.bsky.social · Dec 14

Rehearsal for Handel’s Messiah, tomorrow in the beautiful Orpheum in Vancouver. We sound good and I feel you should all come.

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Reposted by Erik Kwakkel